Nosce Te Ipsum
by haikomori
Summary: "Are you sure you want to know that Rex? Do you understand what comes with it? I mean, the sheer force of it could do more than knock you out. It could make you wish you were dead. It might just kill you. Or you'll just...forget again. I don't know."
1. Action Not Words

**So I have been re-inspired by recent awesome episodes of Generator Rex! I don't know how often the updates will be (as I have other projects that will take priority) but I do hope you enjoy the ride!**

**Disclaimer: If only I owned Rex. Then I could lock him in my closet and no one would question thing. In fact, I could do more than that and no one would say anything! *giggle* Maybe I need a way to get Rex...**

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_Acta non verba._

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"C'mon Rex," Agent Six's voice commanded, the words echoing in Rex's head as the earpiece he had began to buzz. The dark-haired teen rolled his eyes and dodged another swish of the Evo's tail as it smashed into the road, sending chunks of the pavement into the air. "Wrap this up." The red Evo snarled, its spiked tail swishing angrily as it snapped at Rex with its long snout. Rex thought it looked reminiscent of some of the dinosaurs he had seen in books.

"Easy for you to say," Rex grunted as the red tail came at him again. Rex snarled when part of the spikes on the tip of the Evo's tail caught his arm but pushed himself away before it could do any real damage. Rex smirked and called forth his smack hands, the large orange machines covering his hands to form formidable fists. Rex smirked and grabbed the Evo's tail before it could make another move.

"Not the most friendly raccoon gone Evo are you?" Rex asked, hands shaking as he struggled to hold on to the Evo. He gasped when the Evo yanked its tail, jerking him forward as well. Rex let go, smashing against the pavement and skidding to a halt. His red and orange jacket tore and his goggles went flying off his head, but Rex staggered up and snatched them before they could get too far away.

"Not cool!" Rex shouted, narrowing his brown eyes at the Evo as it roared. He snapped his goggles back on his head, rolling his eyes as the earpiece buzzed.

"_Rex…_" Rex sighed at the Six's tone but nodded. The Evo turned to Rex, its deformed snout snarling and foaming at the mouth before charging at Rex, teeth bared. Rex shook his head when he saw Six flying in on his hoverboard, his swords drawn and at the ready, obviously tired of how long it was taking Rex to finish the Evo.

"I can handle it!" Rex's eyes bore into the Evo as he charged to prove his point, smack hands coming down and pinning the beast to the pavement. Rex was jerked around as the red beast writhed underneath his grip to try and break itself free, Rex nearly being lifted off the road. Rex grimaced and pressed harder to make the beast stop moving, breathing out a sigh of relief when the Evo stopped thrashing so violently.

"Just ki-"

Rex shook his head at Six, wanting to prove himself further. Rex knew he didn't _really _need to prove anything and that Six was well aware that Rex was capable of finishing the fight on his own. But that didn't stop Rex from wanting to show Six what he was made of. And that included curing the Evo instead of destroying it. When he was done, it would be a nice, normal raccoon again and he could go home feeling proud of himself. Maybe bask in some more of his awesomeness. That was always fun.

"Rex," Six said, readying his katanas, "You shouldn't waste energy-"

"Sorry Six, can't hear ya!" Rex stuck his tongue out at the Providence agent for good measure before bringing one of his hands down to normal and pressing it against the Evo's side. Bright, neon blue lines began to form, much like veins in a living body, and Rex felt himself being thrust forward.

Rex closed his eyes and concentrated his nanites, feeling the familiar tingle as his own nanites connected with another Evo's. He shuddered and let out a shaky breath as he tried to connect with the animal; he always had more trouble with them. Anything that wasn't human was hard for him to cure, as there was little will to connect with. Unlike humans, there were few emotions for him to reach, no way for him to, as he thought, convince them to go back to normal. With plants it was just impossible. With animals…

"Rex-"

It always left him a little breathless.

"Just another second…" Rex mumbled, pressing harder against the now still Evo for effect. The bright blue lines flickered for a second before burning brighter against the red Evo's skin. Rex opened his eyes slightly, but shut them almost immediately after as the world started to tilt. He shook his head, taking a deep breath as he tried to cure the Evo. His stomach gave a funny lurch, but Rex pressed on, ignoring his nausea. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a little under a minute, the Evo was shrinking as the nanites were neutralized. Rex stepped away, swaying slightly as the once Evo became a small raccoon, looking up at them with wide, black eyes.

"Later little guy!" Rex called as the raccoon's ears perked up before it scampered off, its tail swishing happily behind it. _To think it was trying to kill me with that!_

"That was unnecessary," Six said, coming up from behind Rex. He watched Rex closely from behind his glasses, narrowing his eyes as Rex swayed again. His hands twitched, ready to catch Rex if the need arose.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Rex sighed and closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths to gain his bearings. After he was sure he wasn't about to fall over, he opened his eyes and surveyed the street. People were slowly coming out of their homes, surveying the damage of the latest Evo attack. Some of the people were giving Rex dirty looks, especially as one of the bent fire hydrants started spouting torrents of pressurized water, drenching the already chaotic scene. Parts of the road were torn to bits, claw marks and little craters spread throughout the road. _Oh! And a hole in one of the houses! Guess that raccoon was friskier than I thought…_

"Oops…" Rex laughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked around the townspeople. "Ah well, at least you guys are safe again, huh?" Rex received quite a few glares and a sheepish look or two before the people started to clear out. Rex rolled his eyes and shrugged, already heading back to the ship as Providence clean-up vehicles started to file in. "Oh well…" Rex mumbled, "At least Noah will be dropping by tomorrow."

Rex sat down in the ship, watching as Six came in and issued orders to the crew, the doors beginning to close and leave them in semi-darkness. He blinked, his eyes trying to adjust to the sudden loss of light, but his stomach gave a weird lurch again. It was much smaller this time though. Rex had barely felt it.

_Must be hungry…_ Rex thought, placing a hand on his stomach. He leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes and letting out a yawn. _I'll eat when we get back._


	2. Friends are Tested in Adversity

**Hello! Here is the second chapter. Let me say, Rabble really inspired me. What an awesome episode. But I digress. Anyway, I hope I get a bigger response with this chapter, but I am extremely appreciative of your reviews! Thank you, EnderMoon and Dragonscall! I really appreciated your reviews! They gave me a boost! :)**

**Anyway, enough of me. Please read, review, and enjoy!**

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Amici probantur rebus adversis

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Rex shifted in his bed and groaned as his muscles ached with the smallest movement. His arms felt like they had been filled with lead and he tried to keep them as still as possible, not wanting to agitate the throbbing, heavy limbs any further. He groaned again as a small shift made prickles of pain shoot up his arms, and buried his face into his pillow, wanting to shout out his frustrations. It was early, way too early for him to be up, and it felt like he had been run over by a truck. _Or a steamroller. Or a steamrolling truck shooting down from outer space_…Rex grumbled in his head.

He rolled over so that he was facing up again, wincing when his muscles throbbed. He glared at the dark gray ceiling above his head, blowing out a sigh as Bobo's loud snores drifted over to him. He glanced at his simian companion as the monkey hung over his bed, hands nearly touching the floor. Bobo's hat wasn't far, the red fez sitting on the table where the two had been talking a few hours easier. Rex had been feeling fine then. After he ate, everything seemed all right. _Maybe Bobo did something to the food? _Rex shook his head. Nothing Bobo could do would make him feel this lousy.

Briefly he wondered why no one had called him down to one of the labs yet. Normally when he was feeling like crap they would come to take his vitals or something and make sure all his nanites were stable. Or…Holiday would.

"That's right." Rex said, unable to lift his arms so he could smack himself, "Holiday had to go off to that research facility. Ugh. Then who's in charge of me?" _Or did they forget something that…I don't know_, important_?_

Rex blinked and fought back a yawn, his eyelids growing heavy. He sighed as he welcomed the oncoming sleep, having wrestled to gain any form of rest for the past few hours. Rex shivered violently and he pulled his somewhat thin covers over himself, curling his knees toward his stomach to preserves his body heat. _Just have to sleep it off Rex. Just sleep it off._ Not that his body was really trying to help him in that regard.

Rex yawned, his eyes finally shutting. His muscles still ached and throbbed, he still felt like he had been plowed over by a steamrolling truck, _from space_, and he wanted nothing more than to let it all fall away. He'd ask Six about it tomorrow. Maybe. And that was only if it was still a problem. _Which it won't be_.

Rex nodded to himself before relaxing on his bed as best as he could. It wasn't going to be a problem. It wasn't going to be a problem.

_It won't_, he thought forcefully, even as he shivered again.

* * *

Rex sighed as he walked along the dull halls of Providence base, looking down at the Petting Zoo through the clear but reinforced windows. Several of the Evos were chasing after each other, scattering when one large winged Evo started to swoop down on them, trying to bite their heads off. Rex watched for a while, his eyes distant and body hunched over slightly. Rex pulled his jacket closer to him, blinking slowly as he tried to clear his head.

He had woken up feeling pretty much the same as he had this morning, only now with a pounding migraine so fierce he could have sworn that a jackhammer had joined the steamroller in its efforts to make his life a living hell. He was still freezing too, but Rex was sure that had more to do with the base than anything. White did seem like the type of guy to just like the cold. The man had the nerve to call some frozen wasteland Paradise after all.

However, Rex was not willing to go to Six just yet, no matter how bad he felt. For one, he was sure there was another doctor keeping tabs on his welfare. Providence wouldn't _really_ leave him to his own devices, and if there was really something wrong with him and his nanites, they'd be on him in seconds. Then there was the whole Noah thing. Rex had been waiting for this visit for a while. He was going to take Noah through the Petting Zoo, this time without the fear of mortal death by the hands, fangs, and claws of the Evos. It'd be more fun, lack the shock factor of finding out your friend was working with White up to that point, and there was always the chance of discovering one of those cool rooms. Yes, this time, he would have fun at the darn Petting Zoo.

Yet another reason Rex had not yet gone to Six.

Rex stiffened and doubled over as his stomach gave a sudden, violent lurch, shaking him to his core. His stomach pressed and pressed, but Rex shut his mouth tight, willing the feeling away even as his throat tightened. "Must have been something I ate." Rex reasoned as he straightened himself back up, his world a strange blur. His stomach was still painfully tight, as if it was holding on to something. He didn't like what that meant…

"Hey Rex." Rex jumped and whipped around, smiling when he saw Noah walking down the hallway, Agent Six in tow. The green suited agent raised an eyebrow at Rex, taking note of Rex's paler skin and the way he stood slightly hunched. Rex was shivering as well, even though the base was at normal temperature. But Rex just shook his head at Six's gaze, looking away from the man.

"You okay? You don't look so good." Noah said, taking a few steps closer and trying to get a closer look at Rex. Rex took a half step back, shooting a glare at Six that told him to butt out before he turned back to Noah.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired. Being awesome all the time can be exhausting after all." Rex said, puffing his chest out a little.

Noah rolled his eyes, "Yeah mister awesome. Loved how you freaked by the way. Thought you were gonna have a heart attack."

Rex scowled, "I did not jump that much. You're imagining things."

"Sure I am. And bunnies can't kick your-"

"I told you to never speak of it!" Rex cried, covering his ears. Noah laughed and started chanting about evil demon bunnies, and Six resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"No Petting Zoo." Six said, talking over Rex's own chanting of, "_It was an Evo! It was an Evo! And I totally beat it!"_

"I have several people posted to make sure you don't get in. Or sneak out. Even with Holiday gone Rex, you're going to-"

"I know, I know. Relax Six." Rex paused, tilting his head to the side before smirking, "Scratch that I guess. I don't think you know how relax." Six really did roll his eyes this time, but it remained unseen behind his dark glasses. Six turned around and started heading down the hallway toward his own room, but changed his mind at the last minute. He took a turn right and started to head for Holiday's lab. Someone had to be there by now and he had a few questions for them.

"Wanna play a game of B-Ball?" Noah asked, looking down the hall, "Or do you want go catch some shows before-okay, what's up?" Rex was grinning and glancing down at the Petting Zoo, his earlier woes and pains seemingly forgotten.

"We're going down to the Petting Zoo." Noah gulped and looked down as well, wincing when one of the Evos managed to catch a smaller one, carrying it off into the distance of the large Evo containment area. Several large, blue, birdlike Evos flew by the windows, Noah jumping back and letting out a scream. Rex started laughing behind Noah, clutching his stomach.

"T-That was so-so girly!" Rex cried, wiping his eyes.

Noah glared, "And you got jumped by a bunny. Multiple times."

Rex's mouth fell open and he shook his head, "An Evo bunny! Evo! You saw that thing, it was a beast! A killer! I was lucky to have-"

"Why do you want to go to Petting Zoo so badly anyway?" Noah asked, looking down again. The Petting Zoo held no good memories for him, it being where he had almost lost his friendship with Rex. And was nearly killed by a giant spider…as well as anything else that moved in there.

"Actually, I heard there was a new Evo in there today. I want to check it out." Rex said, leaning closer to the window. "Unless you have anymore secrets you're not telling me about?" Noah shook his head and Rex laughed, clapping Noah on the shoulder before looking out at the Petting Zoo. The thick trees in the Petting Zoo concealed most of the Evos that were hiding within, some of the trees stretching toward the ceiling, their eyes blinking at everything around them. There were all forms of tall grass and tangled vines as well, and somewhere in there was a small swamp area too. Killer flowers hid themselves in the vines, waiting to strike at any time, and that wasn't counting the many mobile Evos within. The Petting Zoo was one large Evo trap.

Rex grinned, "It'll be fun."

"I don't know if I like your idea of fun. It sounds more like ways to get Noah killed. Besides, didn't Six say not to go into the Petting Zoo? Where all the Evos are? That maybe, oh, I don't know, enjoy eating blonds?" Noah asked, taking a step back. Rex rolled his eyes and swung his arm around Noah's shoulder, turning him around and leading them both down the hall.

"Noah, Noah. You should know by now that if it's forbidden here at Providence, it's tons of fun."

"Or tons of death." Noah sighed, giving Rex a weary look, "And just how are we getting in there?"

Rex's grin grew and his eyes brightened, "You leave that to me."

* * *

Six wandered around Holiday's lab, feeling very out of place without the doctor there to tell him to get Rex, often without even looking up from her papers. He almost missed her complaints of how unfairly Providence treated Rex before she would start to devise ways for Rex to have a chance at some 'normalcy'.

_No need to be getting sentimental Six_. The agent made his way to Holiday's desk, glancing at some of the papers that littered the top. Her computer was still on, giving a constant reading on Rex's body structure and nanite condition as always. What bothered Six was that it seemed untouched. Had no one been in there yet? It seemed unsafe to leave Rex unmonitored.

"Great." Six muttered. What was going on in Providence that they would miss making sure Rex had a proper doctor at all times? The kid looked out of it anyway. He had been shivering like crazy and looked ready to throw up. _But I'm not worried_, Six reasoned with himself, _It's irresponsible to leave that kid on his own. He doesn't know when to quit. Like yesterday. _

Six was pulled from his thoughts as Holiday's computer began to blare out an alarm, shining red and deafening the room. Six's eyes roved the flashing computer, watching as a small image of Rex, and what he assumed to be a reading on Rex's nanites, began to flash red. "Great." Six said. On the inside though he was running through names of doctors and scientists he knew, trying to remember someone who could help. But more than that he had to find Rex before he did something stupid or got hurt or-

Six stopped when alarms started above him as well, adding to the din. A voice sounding over the intercom, "There has been a breach in the Petting Zoo. Repeat, there has been a breach in the Petting Zoo. Believed to be Rex. Agent Six, please report to the Petting Zoo and apprehend Rex. Repeat, Agent Six please-" Six shook his head and ran down the halls.

_The kid doesn't know when to quit._

* * *

"Six is going to kill us isn't he?" Noah asked as he looked around the Petting Zoo, waiting for an Evo to jump out of nowhere and try to take his head off. He was riding behind Rex in the 'Rex Ride', the two whipping past various trees and vines as they sped to-well- Noah had no idea where.

"He won't _kill_ us." Rex said, rolling his eyes, "He'll just get all grumpy. Maybe some extra training. It's not the first time I've broken in here."

"Oh, I feel so much better." But Noah did relax. His blond hair whipped behind him, giving him a clear view of some of the nice, more elegant looking trees in the Petting Zoo. They looked almost normal, except when they blinked. Other trees were very gnarled and braches stuck out at odd angles. _Wonder if they're Evos too? _

Noah jumped when one of the branches swatted a fly and he pressed himself closer to Rex. _Oh yeah, they're Evos_. "So just how many ways in here do you have?" Noah asked, trying not to stare too long at the killer trees.

"How ever many I need. It's not like their doors can stop me, I just need to know which one to check out." Rex shrugged, "Bobo helped me find a lot of ways in though. He knows how to get around-ugh." Rex bowed his head and massaged his temple with his free hand, letting out a low moan.

"Rex?" Noah called, shaking his shoulder a little and jumping when they swerved, nearly hitting a tree. Rex jumped and veered away before they could hit the tree, narrowly missing being hit with one of the tree's wayward branches.

"Sorry. Just a weird feeling in my stomach, nothing big." Rex said, shrugging.

"Rex."

"I wonder where that new Evo is supposed to be?" Rex said, trying to talk over Noah even as his head bobbed again. Noah shook his head, shaking Rex's shoulder when Rex nearly hit a tree again. Noah tried to look in Rex's eyes, but the dark haired teen turned away.

"If you're not feeling good we should head back. I'm not exactly what you'd call useful when fighting Evos and it looks like you're about to pass out."

"I'm fine." Rex ground out. Rex snapped his mouth shut when his stomach gave another painful lurch and his chills returned full force. He started to slow down, blinking when all the trees started to blur together. "That can't be good." Rex mumbled, shuddering. When had the cold come back? Now he was feeling chilled to the bone!

"Rex? Rex! What isn't good?" Noah tried shaking Rex's shoulders again, panicking when Rex's head started to bob up and down, Rex nearly falling forward, "Rex come one, don't go passing out now. At least stop-" Noah shouted when he was suddenly jerked off, landing painfully on the ground. Rex's machines fell apart, little scraps skidding along the grass as Rex skidded along the ground. Noah groaned and pushed himself up, wincing as his side ached. He was covered in grass stains and a few scratches, but nothing he couldn't handle. Noah sighed and staggered up, looking toward Rex and gasping when he saw that Rex was still down for the count.

"Rex!" Noah ran towards his friend, skidding to his knees next to the dark haired Evo and turning him up on his back. Rex's eyes were closed and his breathing was coming out in short, shuddering gasps. Rex's mouth was open, desperately sucking in air, and his eyes slowly blinked open.

"What am I doing on the ground?" Rex asked, trying to sit up. Rex groaned only a second later and laid himself back down, clutching his stomach and curling in on himself. "What's going on?" he mumbled, more to himself than Noah.

"I don't know. I don't know." Noah mumbled to himself. He whipped his head around, looking for something, anything he could use to help Rex, call for Six, or something!

"Sorry bout this." Rex said, grimacing and arching up. Rex shuddered, feeling an odd heat creep up on him that was at odds with the cold that chilled his very bones. He tried to fight the heat as his world spun, the nausea overwhelming him. "I feel like crap." Rex said, throwing an arm over his forehead.

"Funny, you look it too." Noah quipped, not liking how red-faced Rex was.

"Good one." Rex chuckled, trying to turn away as Noah reached for him.

"Hold still." Noah said, pulling Rex's arms down so that he could get a better look at him. Rex groaned but put his arms down, sighing when he felt the cool grass. His body just couldn't decide of it wanted to be hot or cold, and it was really starting to tick him off. "You're burning up."

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Rex said, smirking. His smile turned to a scowl though when his shivers returned, "Funny though, I feel like I'm back at Paradise." Rex said, eyes blinking out of focus.

"Paradise?"

"Frozen wasteland of death." Rex said, letting out a small chuckle.

"Right." Noah shook his head and tried to lift Rex, eliciting a moan from the boy as Noah tried to sit him up. "I need to take your jacket off, it's soaked in sweat. We might have to take off your shirt too." Noah said, already stripping Rex of his jacket. Rex giggled, blinking slowly as his jacket was the thrown to the ground.

"Good! I want the world to see my sexiness." Rex said, wiggling slightly. Noah's eyes widened and he bit back a sigh.

"Rex, I think you're delirious."

Rex smiled again, letting out another chuckle, "I hope not. I don't have a cream for that." Rex continued to chuckle, moving his arms up and down his stomach before pointing down south, "I hope it doesn't go somewhere bad! What would you do Noah?" Rex laughed, pointing at Noah's red face, "You're all embarrassed! That's fine though, people don't usually want to stick their hands there. At least not when applying cream! Or _do_ they?" Rex said in a singsong voice, giggling like mad.

"Great. Just great, you're nuts, we're stuck in the Petting Zoo, and I have no idea what to do." Noah said, running a hand through his hair. He tried looking around again, but all he saw were trees and the smallest rustling in the-

"Oh no." Noah ducked down on Rex, the delirious boy groaning as Noah's body hit his chest. A small Evo zipped by, a strange blue creature that looked like an eyeless snake that had sprouted wings. The thing's mouth opened, revealing several large and sharp fangs and it dived after Noah and Rex. "Darn it!" Noah cried, pressing Rex and himself toward the ground. Noah pushed himself up as the Evo veered for another attack, grabbing Rex under his armpits and dragging him into some of the bushes. The blue Evo flew at them and Noah pushed Rex aside as the Evo opened its mouth.

"Ow!" Noah shouted, grabbing his arm where the Evo had bitten him, feeling blood ooze between his fingers. Noah grabbed the snake creature by its tail before it flew away and slammed it into the ground, holding it by its neck when it began to snap up at him. The wings near its head began to beat feverishly as it tried to free itself, but Noah had turned his attention back to Rex.

"You all right?" Noah asked, glad when Rex looked at him with somewhat clearer eyes. Rex blinked and Noah tilted his head to the side, wondering what Rex was staring at.

"Your arm." Rex said with a hoarse voice, tying to push himself up. The dark haired teen groaned and laid back on the grass, some of his hair catching on the bush, "I'm sorry."

Noah shrugged, even though his arm throbbed painfully. There was only a little blood trickling down his arm, nothing that he couldn't handle. Considering it was Rex he was with, he could have gotten a lot worse.

"It's nothing big Rex. But how are you feeling?" Noah asked, not realizing that the Evo in his hands had gone unnaturally still. Rex closed his eyes and moaned.

"I feel like a batch of daisies Noah, don't worry." Noah rolled his eyes and shifted his legs so that he was looking over Rex instead of the Evo. Rex coughed, hands grasping at his stomach as another wave of nausea hit him in a bout of sickening heat. "A-Actually..." Rex said, choking slightly before he continued, "I-I think I'm gonna-" Rex didn't even get the words out before he was twisting over. He heaved into the bushes, his nonexistent breakfast spilling and clinging to the leaves. Rex's face lost even more color, leaving his skin looking gray and clammy with the exception of his feverish cheeks. Rex quickly moved away from the vomit before it made him throw up again, the pungent stench making his stomach turn.

"Rex." Noah said, voice strangely quiet.

"What?" Rex asked, his eyes still closed tight. All he wanted to do was lay in the grass. He had no idea what was wrong with him, but the grass was so cool and inviting. Strange...before he had felt so hot and now.

"Don't move." Rex's eyes snapped open and he held back a shout as he looked behind Noah. A hulking Evo stood behind Noah, the beast a dark maroon color, its hands trailing on the ground. It had large, hollow black eyes that took up most of its face, the beast's bottom fangs jutting out and covering the mouth. A shaggy mane of white gray fur trailed down its head to its back, and it stood on its hindquarters over Noah and Rex. "Just don't move..." Noah whispered, slowly releasing the blue Evo from before. The snake like beast fluttered slightly before trying to fly away, only to be caught in the great Evo's clutches. Rex winced when the new Evo chomped on the blue Evo, snapping off the head and chewing it with its bottom teeth.

"Noah..." Rex mumbled, trying to make his arms work. He thought of his smack hands, of his 'Rex Ride, of anything that could help get Noah out of there or just help defend them before they wound up dead. But nothing was working! All he could feel was a small tingle, then nothing.

"Let's go." Noah said, slowly lifting himself away from Rex and rolling over on the grass. Noah's hand flew out and grabbed Rex by his arm, dragging him along the grass into another pair of bushes. Rex bit his lip, licking away the salty sweat that traveled down his temple to the corner of his lips. He held in his pained groans despite his chest's tight feeling, knowing that the slightest sound could distract the Evo from its current meal. Noah focused on getting to the next pair of bushes undetected, arm shaking slightly as he tried to pull Rex away with one arm, avoiding as much sound as possible.

Rex gulped as his chest tightened and stretched, his throat starting to tickle as he resisted the urge to cough. He arched his neck as if he were holding his breath, the tickling getting worse and worse until-

_"Cough."_

The beast turned to them, it's black, hollow eyes zeroing in on Rex as saliva and blood dripped down its mouth. Noah shouted and grabbed Rex with both arms, yanking the sick teen brutally to get him away from the Evo's wrath. The two boys fell into a heap in the bushes just as the Evo slammed its fist into the ground where Rex's head had been, cracking the ground. There was a heavy thud as the Evo managed to reach the steel ground, and both boys exchanged panicked glances.

"Not good, not good, not good, not good." Noah chanted, pulling on Rex again.

"Well what did you expect?" Rex said, although he was trying in vain to help Noah along. He closed his eyes and tried to call on his machines again, willing the smallest reaction from his nanites. Anything to help. Anything!

"Rex!" Rex's eyes snapped open but he was thrust to the ground before he could even think. His eyes widened as he heard Noah give a pained grunt before falling to the ground, clutching his stomach. Noah's eyes opened, creased in pain, and they locked with Rex's. Noah breathed out a long sigh, trying to catch his breath.

"Noah!" Rex narrowed his eyes and turned to the Evo that was aiming for another strike. Sweat was beading down his temples, every breath felt like a chore, but Rex would not stand by and let Noah be hurt. "Leave him alone!" Rex shouted, throat burning from the effort. Rex pushed his legs up, stumbling slightly as he stood, and raised his arms as if to defend himself. He glared at the Evo but smirked, even though his breaths were quick and shallow. "Hey ugly! Why don't you try messing with me?"

"Rex-don't be an idiot!" But Rex ignored Noah, instead dodging, or rather falling, to the side as the Evo aimed a punch at him. Rex skidded on the ground, but he pushed his shaking limbs into motion, heaving himself away as the Evo aimed another blow. The ground trembled under the hit, almost knocking Rex off his feet, but Rex continued to dodge, stepping backward with each move.

_Have to…get him…away from Noah!_ Rex leaned back as the Evo aimed a punch at his face, but stumbled and landed painfully on the ground, head cracking on impact. Before he could even blink away the spots, the Evo was on Rex, aiming a punch in the gut before kicking him in the chest. Rex gasped for breath as searing, throbbing pain erupted in his chest and stomach, each breath straining his lungs. Rex tried to lift his arms, the limbs trembling violently at his sides, but they refused to listen. Rex started to curl in on himself, anything to stop the rain of blows that tore endlessly at his body.

"Fu-" Rex snapped his mouth shut when his jaw bounced on the ground and big, dark spots popped in his vision. His jaw throbbed, his chest ached, his stomach screamed, and every part of him seemed to be in pain. He breathed out his mouth, trying to gasp in oxygen that just wasn't coming, and everything was muddled and slow. Rex slowly, painfully, opened his eyes, a strange whiteness settling over his vision. He blinked, then blinked again, but it didn't go away, and eventually he just shrugged it off. He was too tired to think about it anyway. At least the pain had stopped..._wait._

"It…st…ped?" Rex managed, trying to lift his head and see if the Evo was indeed gone, or if it was planning something worse. Instead his head just lolled on the ground, and no matter how hard Rex strained his eyes, he could not see the Evo. "Ugh…" Rex curled even more into himself, gingerly cupping his stomach and willing the pain away. Normally his nanites would do something to help, but they weren't even helping with his machines. Nothing was working. Nothing.

Rex thought he heard something screech in the background but the noise was dull…faraway. Rex sighed and settled against the cool grass, grateful that at least he was being hit anymore. Rex watched through half lidded eyes as something dark green came into his vision, and as Rex tried to look up, he thought he saw a pair of sunglasses.

Then nothing.


	3. A Sick Man's Dreams

**Hey guys. Sorry it too me a little while. Anyway, I'd like to thank:Jessica499499, Astro-McPhearson, person0013, Lina Trinch, Lexer047, EnderMoon, Randomnesssssszzz, and RandomDraggon. You guys are awesome. I loved your reviews! *hugs for all!***

**Onward to the Chapter!**

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_Aegri somnia_

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Noah had nearly screamed when Rex started leading the Evo away from him, but the punch in the gut had left him more than a little breathless, and he couldn't get up to follow. Panic had coursed through him, only helped by Rex's many near misses with the Evo's strikes, and when Rex had stumbled out of view, Noah's heart had jumped into his throat. By the time he staggered up and started to limp where Rex and the Evo had disappeared, he met up with Agent Six himself. The green clad agent had taken one look at him before disappearing into the trees and bushes. Noah followed, intent on finding Rex.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

Rex was on the ground, curled up and bruised and even bloody. His whole body was shaking, his hands desperately tearing at the grass under his fingers as he tried to catch his breath. Noah started toward him, but stopped once more as the Evo from before flew by him. It landed hard on the ground, skidding along the dirt and grass and kicking up clumps of the Petting Zoo's earth. Before Noah could even blink, a shining metal katana flew through the air and landed in the beast's chest. Another sang by as well, landing perfectly parallel by the other sword, and the Evo thrashed underneath the swords. Agent Six walked calmly toward the Evo, taking each of his swords in hand before giving them a good twist.

Noah winced when the beast howled, his hands shaking and itching to cover his ears to block out the sound. The Evo reached for the blades, trying to grasp them with its shaking, large claws, but Six gave the swords one last twist and the beast went still. Blood was pooling in the grass, dying the blades a dark black color, but Agent Six turned away without so much as a parting glance at the Evo. Instead he ran to Rex and knelt beside him, silently coaxing the teen to turn over.

Noah ran over as well, kneeling beside Rex and watching as Six tried to get him to respond. Rex opened his eyes briefly, the brown irises dully switching between Six and Noah before fluttering shut. Six took the slightest of breaths before reaching for his earpiece, calling in to Providence that they needed a stretcher. Noah glanced at Six before hesitantly reaching for Rex, pulling the feverish and battered teen into his lap. Six raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Noah looked down at Rex, biting his lip as Rex breathed through his mouth, the gasps quiet and deafening at the same time. It was as if everything else in the Petting Zoo had fallen silent since Six came in, every living thing refusing to move in fear of ending up like the other Evo. Not even the slightest rustle was heard even the eerily still Petting Zoo.

"What was wrong with him before?" Noah jumped at Six's voice, flinching before glancing up at the Providence agent. Six was always so quiet, but in this silence, it was as if he was shouting at Noah. The blond tried to shrug it off, but he was still rattled by the Agent.

"He-He was sick or something. I mean, we were riding through the Petting Zoo…" Noah looked at the ground, waiting for the reprimand. When none came, he took a deep breath and continued, "And he started talking about how his stomach was hurting, but then he tried to play if off." Noah ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head, "We nearly drove into a tree! Then his machines started going haywire and we wound up on the ground. The next thing I know, Rex is mumbling about him being sexy and not having cream for delirium, then we're being attacked by an Evo." Noah's eyes darkened and he looked down at Rex, biting his lip.

"He tried to get it away from me…" Both Agent Six and Noah looked up as several scientists made their way through the bushes, carrying a white stretcher between the three of them. They huddled around Rex, checking his vitals and nanites, before lifting him on the stretcher. "His nanites levels are bottoming out." one of the scientists said, "But we won't get a clear reading of what's wrong unless we can get a hold of his medical scans. And Doctor Holiday is the only one authorized-"

"Just take him to the medbay." Six said, the slightest thread of agitation in his voice, "I will contact Doctor Holiday." Six glanced over at Noah and cocked his head toward Rex. Noah's mouth opened in surprise, but he nodded and ran after the doctors and scientists carrying Rex, intent on making sure his friend was all right.

"What did you get yourself into Rex?" Six said before pulling out his long distance communicator. He waited as the line fed him static before there was a loud click on the other line.

"Yes, this is Doctor Holiday."

"Dr. Holiday-"

"Six?" There was a gasp on the other end and Six barely blinked before Holiday started, "Why are you calling me? Did something bad happen to Rex? Did something bad happen to _you?_ Was there a really bad Evo attack? What about Rex's nanites? Or did Rex sneak out? What about Noah, have you tried contacting him? What of it was the pack's doing? Six? SIX? Why aren't you answering, what's-"

"Holiday."

"What?" She demanded, voice clipped and annoyed.

"I will answer If you five me the chance to."

"Oh." Six raised an eyebrow when he heard shuffling on the other end, followed by a small cough, "Of course. Sorry about that."

Six said nothing about her behavior, going straight to the point, "It's Rex."

"Wh-" Six stopped, waiting for Holiday to continue, but was relieved when the line remained silent.

"He's having problems with his nanites. He seems sick and had trouble with an Evo." Six said, looking back at where he scientists and Noah had disappeared.

"Trouble with his nanites? Was anyone monitoring him? And what kind of sick?" Six opened his mouth to answer, but Holiday continued to talk under her breath, clearly caught up in her own musings of what happened. Six waited for her mutterings to stop, but then Holiday gave a very unlady like snort on the other end, "That's the last time I leave Rex alone without a full binding contract that he will be _looked_ after. I'm coming back, probably in about an hour. I don't know who's handling doctor assignments, but when I get my hands on them they're in for-"

"Wasn't that conference important?"

"Not at all." Holiday said, "Rex takes priority over some rehash of the same information we already know about the nanites. I'm more helpful there. Besides, this has me concerned. Rex shouldn't get sick, at least not often and it should nothing serious. His nanites usually prevent things like that." Holiday paused, then Six heard a long sigh on the other end, "Where was he when it happened Six?"

"He and Noah snuck into the Petting Zoo. Things got a little out of hand, but the threat has been neutralized."

Another pause on the other end, then Holiday asked in a whisper, "Is he okay?"

Six considered, at least for a moment, just saying that Rex would be fine, but it seemed strange for him to try and sugarcoat things. Doctor Holiday could handle it, and not telling her might even impede Rex's recovery. Even if he felt a strange…dark feeling, he told her what he knew, "I'm not sure."

Another long sigh came in through the line, "All right. I'll be there as soon as I can."

And the line went dead.

* * *

Darkness….Darkness….

It was everywhere.

Rex sighed and looked up, or at least tried to. But his eyes were only met with the same unending black that they had seen before, and honestly, he didn't even know if he was looking anymore. Shutting his eyes made no difference, it was all the same depressing color. Was it better than the whiteness that sometimes invaded his mind, the same that gave him headaches when he woke up, the throes of a feeling attacking him, but no memory for him to attach it to?

That was one of the many things Rex hated about being amnesic. Without warning he'd be hit with something completely wonderful, or worse yet, utterly sad, and have no way of knowing what it was. All that he had was a tiny thread, and it would break off and fray before he could even try and grasp what it meant. And sometimes…sometimes there would be this great pain. It would hit in an instant and be gone the next, but Rex knew it had been the worse thing he had ever felt in his life.

A part of him knew what the memory was, but that didn't bring him any closer to remembering it. A part of him wanted to, craved to know what happened, to see the flashes of faces that would give him a clue as to who he was or at least put a face to words like mother. Father.

And more recently…brother.

Yet at the same time he was afraid. A great darkness loomed over him, something that could and would swallow him whole. Rex had an idea that it came from the memory, may have been that brief moment when he was about to die before being saved by the nanites that were both a blessing and a curse. The pain, the sheer _pain _that seemed to be attached to it, frightened him. The pain was not something that slowly started, but rather hit him all at once. Like being hit by a truck. An instant of pain, then a strange feeling.

Except he did not heal afterward. Instead he would suffer, his muscles throbbing and something looming over him, and every time he caught so much as a glance of what it meant, he could remember, or feel, something hot and sticky at the back of his neck. Rex however prided himself for his confidence, his lack of fear. He could tell he hadn't been afraid when this...accident happened. Even though it was painful and lasted longer than it should have. But...but he was afriad of the memory. Of what it meant.

How could he tell anyone that he was afraid of that memory? Or better yet, of how he was scared right now. Scared of the endless darkness that surrounded him, scared that he was not waking up, and scared of the chills and aches that rocked him to his very bones.

Rex knew that he couldn't tell a soul.

Rex closed his eyes, or opened his eyes, not sure which it was. He was too tired, too annoyed to really care about such things. All he knew was that he was floating in perpetual darkness and whining over things he could not change. He shoved his fear and uncertain thoughts away, putting on a smile as if his problems and feelings could be dispelled by a winning grin.

_Can't quit now Rex. Mope later, you know, when you're not floating out in the dullest place on the planet. _

Rex gasped when he was tugged forward on something he couldn't see, but blinked when he realized he was being brought up to a bright, white light. He allowed his reservations to die, if only for a moment, and told himself to face it later. To face it later with head held high and no fear of tomorrow.

And he did not acknowledge the pain in his gut.

* * *

When Rex opened his eyes, he was sure that he had woken from his dream, and expected to see Doctor Holiday's face floating above him. Or Agent Six, looking as stoic as ever as he silently scolded Rex with the simple raising of an eyebrow. Or Noah telling him that they shouldn't have done something like that and asking him if he was okay, while Bobo would hang in the background and shake his head.

These were familiar things, ones Rex knew he needed and longed for.

Instead he was face to face with the red skies of Abyssus, the clouds dark and heavy and making Rex shiver. Rex groaned and pushed himself off the ground, brushing off the red flower petals and dirt that had collected on his clothes. "Why am I here?" Rex mumbled as he leaned against one of the trees. "Did Van Kleiss...or the Pack have something…" His words were cut off by a low rumble in the distance and before Rex could even blink, familiar roots were springing from the ground and wrapping themselves around him.

"Let go! Let go!" Rex shouted, pulling and struggling in vain against the roots. They wrapped tightly around his arms and legs, lifting him up into the air and pressing against him. Rex choked and tried to breath as the roots wrapped themselves around his chest as well, and shouted again as he was whipped around in the air. _Come on…come on…_ Rex concentrated on his arms, watching as the familiar, blue and vein like lines appeared on his arm, only to fade and die before his machines could come. "What the hell!"

"How accurate Rex." Rex froze but narrowed his eyes, snapping his head up and coming face to face with Van Kleiss. The man simply smirked at him, his long black hair blowing slightly behind him as a strong gust of wind blew through. His gold clawed gauntlet was set firmly around his hand, his dark clothes fitting in perfectly in his dark and dreary home in Abyssus. Van Kleiss fixed hungry black eyes on Rex, inching closer on his platform made of earth.

"What do you want Kleiss!" Rex snarled, struggling against the roots again. "I swear, as soon as I get out of here-"

"You'll what Rex? You're hardly in any shape to be making threats now are you?" Kleiss said, tilting his head to the side, "I doubt you even realize what's happening."

"Shut up!" Rex shouted, growling when Kleiss only chuckled. Rex gritted his teeth and _pulled,_ breathing heavily through his nose and gnashing his teeth. "Let me go. I'll kick your-" Rex stopped, shutting his eyes tight as his head buzzed with loud and unruly static. "Ah-Ah-" Rex shook his head and tried to curling on himself as the static noise grew louder, vibrating in his head and sending little shocks down his spine. His head rattled with the noise and he gasped for breath, trying to collect his thoughts as the incessant noise continued to blare.

"Unpleasant, isn't it?" Rex blinked his eyes open at Kleiss' voice, but could not see the man through the haze of blurring pain. He was amazed he had even heard him with all the static bouncing around his head. "And to think that the solution lies here. I should think you owe me for that Rex."

Wh-What is-

"But I doubt you get it…it's too bad really, but I suppose I'll have to be patient and just wait for you to figure it out on your own. Those nanites of yours…they really are amazing."

"Sh…p…" Rex snapped his mouth shut and groaned again. Talking only made the pain worse. The static was stabbing into his brain, making his eyes water and every part of him scream. _What's going on! What-_

"_Error…error…virus detected. Recovery program initiated. Time of completion: unknown. Reboot. Reboot. Reboot. System Restore…"_

Rex groaned again, the monotone voice somehow playing over the static and making his head throb. He tried to concentrate on something, anything else but all that he saw were blurred red skies and a shadowy figure that he assumed was Van Kleiss. Rex shuddered as his whole body began to tingle, leaving the skin feeling numb, and he was out before the roots released him, sending him plummeting to the ground.

* * *

Rex shot up and took a deep, shuddering breath, sweat dripping down his temples and pooling in his hands. His eyes were wide and dilated and he buried his face in his hands, trying to catch his breath. His head was still ringing from the static that had plagued his mind, the noise managing to linger in his brain as a distant echo. Rex slowly moved his hands away from his face and blinked at the bright white light that filled the room. He shivered, wondering why the room was so cold, only to flinch when his hand touched cool metal. He looked down and saw that he was on a metal medical slab before his eyes roved the rest of the room.

Machines were beeping around him, providing the room with a steady stream ofcalculated noise that made Rex wonder how he had been able to sleep in the first place. He only wore his jeans from earlier, his upper torso wrapped in several rolls of white bandages. Rex took another deep breath as the pain from his sudden movements caught up with him, making him hunch over and grasp the metal in a tight grip.

"Ah…Ow…" Rex shuddered and slowly laid back down, shivering again as the coolness of the metal bit his skin. It almost burned, the way the coldness touched him, but Rex tried to shake it off. He blinked away the pain and looked up at the plain white ceiling, recognizing some of the towering computers and machines around him.

Before he could really guess where he was though, he heard several voices coming down the hall. Rex froze and clamped his eyes shut, fisting his hands tightly at his sides and cursing the heart monitor as it beeped in time with his rapid heart. Rex listened hard as the voices got louder, taking silent deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down.

"Rex, I know you're awake. Now relax..." Rex jumped at Doctor Holidays voice but groaned only seconds later. His muscles throbbed at the sudden movement and Rex let out a shaky breath, scrunching his eyes from the pain. Doctor Holiday was hovering over him in seconds, her green eyes concerned as they studied Rex. "You've been out for a while Rex. And you've been moaning in your sleep. How do you feel now?"

Rex tried to give Holiday a winning smile, but it fell back into a grimace as his body gave a violent shudder. "Well...I feel like I got run over. Again." Rex winced when he felt his stomach with his bandaged hands, the skin tender even underneath the bandages. "I'm freezing and I don't remember what happened after that Evo was on top of me. Wait! Noah! What happened-OW!" Rex had shot up again but his stomach screamed at the move, making tears of pain well in Rex's eyes. He blinked them back and tried to shrug off Holiday's arm as she worked to push him back down. "What happened to Noah? Doc, tell me-"

"I'm fine Rex." Rex stopped at Noah's voice and looked past Holiday, letting out a sigh when he saw Noah relatively unharmed. Noah's jacket was gone and Rex could see some bandages on his arm, but otherwise he seemed okay. Bobo stood next to Noah smiling at Rex before shaking his head at him.

"Gotta calm down Chief." Bobo said, grin widening.

"Hey monkey don't-"

"Enough." Rex snapped his head around, wincing at the crack that sounded from his neck, and blinked at Agent Six. The man had a hand in his green suit jacket, a small tear running down the chest of the jacket, but Rex wasn't concerned with it. It was the way Six had said...said it. It was strained, almost not there...but Rex thought he heard...fear?

_Not good._

Holiday shook her head and pushed Rex back onto the metal table, reaching into her lab pockets and pulling out a light. Rex flinched at the light before forcing himself to look at it, letting Holiday get her info. "Well Rex...after the Petting Zoo incident, I was called in to look after you. Not that I mind-" She added quickly as Rex opened his mouth, "-but it shows just how serious it is. Open your mouth."

"Wh-" Rex almost jerked his head away when a thermometer was plopped into his mouth, but settled for a small glare.

"When I got here, you were unstable. Your nanites were, put it simply, flat-lining, and I had no idea why. You were pretty banged up and as you can see-" Holiday gestured to Rex's numerous bruises, "They aren't helping you heal either. You weren't able to use your machines either, and honestly Rex, you have a fever." Holiday slipped the thermometer out of Rex's mouth, her brow furrowing when she saw the temperature. 101.2 degrees. Not as high as before, but it's been off and on since I got here."

Rex swallowed a rather large and growing lump in his throat, trying not to think back to his...strange dreams, "What does it mean Doc?"

Holiday stared at Rex, long and hard, "I...can't say for certain Rex. It could be anything. But what's throwing me off is this fever. The malfunctioning machines I can understand. Even the bruises could have something to do with your nanites flat-lining. But what has me worried...is the fever. _That _may be the cause of all this but...I don't know. That could mean anything." Rex took a deep breath and tried to focus on the ceiling. Anything was better than this creeping helplessness.

Rex suppressed a shiver and spoke to the ceiling, "What do we do now? I mean...how do we figure out...what's wrong?"

"_System Restore." _Rex shook his head, ignoring the voice even as his body chilled.

"I'll have to run some tests. In the mean time, you'll be staying in a medical room more accustomed for long term patients. With any luck it will only be for a few days, but it's better than having you sleep on this metal table." Holiday paused and placed a comforting hand on Rex's shoulder, "I'm sure it will be all right. We've made it through worse."

Rex blinked again, much harder than necessary, "What-What if it's-"

"You don't know that."

"And you don't either." Noah tilted his head to the side, glancing a Six for some sort of explanation for their strange conversation. All he got was the shine of Six's glasses.

"I'm sure you'll be okay Rex. I'll run some tests, give you some medicine for that fever, and have you rest. For all we know, this could be some bug that just slipped through, all right?"

Rex wasn't listening to her, instead blinking when the ceiling started to go out of focus. "Rex?" Rex coughed, his whole body starting to tremble and shake. Every muscle throbbed and all the lights in the room were making his head ache. His stomach was screaming, lurching, and Rex arched over and heaved. His hands shook more violently and he tried to shake it off, only to moan seconds later as the room titled. Rex's head swayed and let himself drop over the rail of the metal, unable to keep his head up anymore.

"Rex! Rex!" The voices were loud at first. Loud and painful and just so...annoying. But a calming, dull haze filtered them out. Filtered everything out. Rex felt himself relax, even thought his body still shivered from a chill that wasn't there. He was just so tired and sick and done. He just wanted to sleep...his eyes were already closing.

"_System Restore." _

"_Reboot. Reboot. Error, receiving conflicting protocols. Threat detected. Unable to identify."_

"_Waiting for back-up program."_

"_Standby."_


	4. By Consequences

**Hello! Some of you may have noticed the shiny new summary. Well, we have Ms. Unlucky to thank for that. I read her review, thought, "She has a point!", and thus it was born! A special thanks to her, because honestly, I like the new summary a lot more. **

**Anyway, thanks to: Lina Trinch (No problem and I'm glad you like the length! :D ), jessica499499 (*blush* Thank you!), EnderMoon (thanks!), RandomDraggon (isn't it?), DEVOTEDJESUSFREAK (Thanks! :D ), Zemby (Really? Wow! Thank you very much!), Ms. Unlucky (Thanks again! So glad you decided to read), and Blue Flyhight (Yes! Thank you. Six can be a bit hard write, but-just-thanks!)**

**You guys are awesome. Here's the next chapter! **

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_Per Consequens._

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Noah wasn't sure what scared him more. The way Rex had just thrown up before passing out, the machines around him that started to blare, or the way Doctor Holiday demanded them to leave as she started to pull Rex back on the table. Or maybe it was when Agent Six pushed him out, the stoic man's eyebrows knitted in what Noah could only see as fear. Or uncertainty. It didn't matter. Six was making a face, which meant it was something bad. But it had been two hours now, Holiday had long since come out of the room, and he was still no closer to finding out what was really wrong with Rex. All Holiday had done was shake her head, saying she had to talk with some of the other scientists, and had left Noah and Bobo with Six just outside of Rex's room.

Noah sighed and leaned against the blindingly white wall, glancing at the steel door before resting his head against the cool metal wall. He watched as Bobo moved back and forth impatiently, glaring at the door, then at Agent Six, and sometimes even at Noah, before resuming his pacing. Noah blinked slowly, perking up when he heard Bobo muttering as he paced, "That kid making us all worried. Well I'll show him. Mess up his room real good when this is all over." Noah almost smiled at Bobo's concern, his eyes drifting off and catching Agent Six. For a second it seemed like the man was staring at him, and Noah almost shivered. He could still hear the howls of the Evo as Agent Six plunged the katana in its chest, almost spitefully twisting the blade and digging it deeper into its chest. The sound made Noah's head ring and he closed his eyes to escape the torturous whining sound.

But all that did was bring up more of his questions and concerns and fears. The feelings swirled inside of him, tugging and pulling, and he had no idea where to let his thoughts go. There was one thing really jarring him, and that was the way Holiday and Rex had talked before everything went to hell. _What were they talking about...that had Rex sounding so scared?_ It bothered Noah, to hear that kind of fear in Rex's voice. Rex was hot headed and confident, ready to run headfirst into any situation if it meant a little excitement or saving someone he cared about. Even complete strangers. So what was going on that made _Rex_ sound nervous and afraid. _And could this illness be the reason? I mean, I've never seen Rex this sick before, but what do I know, I'm not the expert! Ugh. But he was sick earlier and just trying to play if off and then _this _happens. I swear, hanging out with him is gonna give me gray hair. I'm not old! I don't need gray hair!_

…

_Rex better be okay._

Noah sighed again and opened his eyes, a bit surprised when he was met with the color green. Noah tilted his head to the side, wondering if Six was looking at him, but it was impossible to tell with Six's glasses. Noah looked toward the ground and bit his lip, swallowing hard and refusing to meet the Agent's...well, glasses. "Um...Six? Do you know what-what might have happened? Or why Rex is suddenly sick like this? I mean…" The silence that followed made Noah want to run out of the room, screaming for his mother. His eyes were still trained on the ground, but he could see that Bobo had stopped pacing, the monkey's leg just visible in the corner of his eye. Noah blinked and almost, _almost, _looked up at Six, but was too afraid to dare. There was no telling what the Agent would do, and while Noah was sure Six wouldn't really kill him, he always felt rather uneasy around him.

"_Maybe it has something to do with you, I don't know, lying for a long time to Rex and then facing Six everyday."_ A voice said, and Noah could almost hear the sneer in the tone.

_Yeah, except he was lying too. _

"_Doesn't-"_

"Yesterday..." Noah looked up at Six, his eyes wide and questioning, even as he tried to beat his thoughts down, "There was an Evo. He got frustrated and tried to cure it, even though it was an animal. We should have disposed of it. After he cured it he was slightly nauseous and had a slight stomach pain, but it was gone by the time we got back to Providence." Noah blinked at Six, the stoic man looking down at him as silence stretched on. "You wanted to know right? It's why you asked." Six asked, turning away from Noah.

Noah blinked again but managed a hasty nod, taking a step away from wall and toward Six, "Y-Yeah. Thanks...Six." Noah bit his lip, his eyes meeting the floor again, "Do you think he'll..." Noah trailed off. He didn't know what he was thinking, asking Six something like that. But he was scared, his shaking hands were proof enough of that, and the Agent had to care for Rex too right? Sure the guy was a tightwad, but that meant he wanted Rex safe right? _Right?_

"I'm sure he'll be okay Noah." Noah swallowed and looked at Six again, eyes wide. Noah felt his lips twitch up just a bit and he nodded, even though Six had turned away from him. Bobo shook his head, but even he looked a bit relieved at Six's prediction, but all three of them froze as clicking came down the hall, a sign of Holiday's heels. Noah stepped around Six, watching with worried eyes as Doctor Holiday came toward them. She had a clipboard in her hand and her eyes were narrowed, her steps quick and brisk down the hallway. She looked up at them as she closed in on Rex's door, her shoulders falling slightly.

Noah felt his chest tighten.

"We'll have to talk about it in a moment." Holiday said. Noah felt a part of his stomach loosen, but then immediately tighten up. They weren't in the clear yet, they were only delaying the inevitable. "I have to go and meet with the other scientists again, this time with Knight." Holiday paused, narrowing her eyes and glaring at the floor, "They'll be getting chewed out though, I promise. Whoever left Rex alone will be sorry they ever slipped up. I won't tolerate mistakes with him." Noah swallowed, taking a small step back as Holiday continued to mutter darkly to herself, her hands clenched tightly around her clipboard.

She shook her head and walked into Rex's room, Six, Noah, and Bobo trailing behind her. They watched as she took his vitals, pulling at several tubes that ran from the machines and led to Rex, and Noah had to wince when Rex let out a wheezing cough. Rex looked worse than Noah had ever seen him, even after the Evo bunny ran Rex through a few times, leaving him bruised and sore. Now his skin was pale, looking almost like ash, and his body seemed stiff and unwilling to move. Rex's cheeks were still flushed with fever and little puffs of breaths made it look like Rex was struggling to breath.

"Come on." Noah jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see Holiday's green eyes on him, worried but understanding. "We just have to be patient. It looks bad now but Rex always bounces back."

Noah closed his eyes and nodded, trying to calm himself down. But as he looked back at Holiday, he was struck again by her and Rex's exchange before Rex wound up passing out. If there was ever a time…but it might turn out to be his only chance, "Um…Doctor Holiday?" Noah asked as the Doctor made to leave the room, "What were you and Rex talking about? You know, before Rex passed out like this. He seemed really freaked out by it and I was-"

Holiday's eyes darkened and a part of Noah froze up, a voice in his head shouting at him, _"You don't want to hear this. You don't want to hear his. You don't want to hear this!" _Noah swallowed and stepped back again, eyes roving the floor. "If-If you don't mind telling…I mean-" _Why can't I get the words out!_

"I-I'm sure Rex will tell you Noah." Holiday said, still looking a tad shaken, "It's more his right then mine." Holiday turned away again and Noah found himself following her down the hallway, their footsteps loud in the quiet hallways of Providence. Noah nearly jumped when Agent Six and Bobo came walking beside him, but shook it off and concentrated on Holiday, his mind buzzing. _Well…if I can't figure out what's got Rex freaked out, then I'll just see what they're gonna do about this illness or whatever it is. No way am I just gonna sit around and wait for Rex to wake up._

Noah blinked when he was suddenly standing in front of a tall door, the steel shining as the bright fluorescent lights reflected off the steel. He glanced at Holiday as she hesitated going inside, the Doctor throwing him a glance before looking over to Six. Noah felt his heart quicken, the blood pounding uncomfortably in his chest as he looked around at Six as well, half expecting the man to kick him out. The Agent looked at him, one eyebrow raised just barely over his glasses, before Noah was being pushed past the now sliding door. "Hurry up." Six muttered.

Holiday gave Six a smile before walking inside herself, a frown setting firmly on her face as she surveyed the doctors and scientists in the room. There were only six of them and each of them froze as Holiday walked inside the plain room. Noah felt himself shiver as he took a few steps away from the group and leaned against the wall, glancing at the giant screen fastened near the top of one of the walls. Was White Knight going to pay them a visit soon too, or did they always have a screen for his head to pop into to?

"Stay sharp kid. You're about to see Holiday when she really gets mad." Noah looked down at Bobo as the monkey stood with him, leaning against the wall with a smirk that made Noah's skin crawl. "It's kind of nice to see it aimed at someone else." Bobo chuckled. Noah shook his head, wondering what Bobo had been doing that had gotten Holiday so riled up at him…and decided it would be better if he just never found out. Whatever it was could have been very illegal, very embarrassing, very violent, or a combination of all three.

Noah glanced at Six as the man pressed a few buttons on a panel near the door, the steel door sliding shut again and a thud echoing in the room. Each of the six doctors tensed and Noah found that he couldn't blame them. If he had just been locked in a room with one of the deadliest men in the world and a scientist hunting for blood, he'd be pretty scared too.

Actually, he was kind of scared now, and he wasn't even on the receiving end of their fury.

Holiday straightened herself out and casually walked toward the other side of the plain white room, the doctors' eyes following her, watching each click of her heels and the slightest pause in her step. She stopped near the front of the screen, not turning or saying a word, and Noah watched as each doctor and scientist showed signs of relief. Then Holiday turned, clipboard still clutched tightly in her hands, eyes closed, and no one seemed to breath. Slowly, painfully slowly, she opened her eyes and glared at them, even as a small smile appeared on her face. It was menacing really, to have such a smile when her eyes told the scientists that Holiday would have loved nothing more than to pounce on them and rip them limb from shaking, soon to be mutilated, limb.

"So…" Holiday said, her voice loud in the room despite how quietly she spoke, "Rex is in the medical lab now, his tests are running, and soon I'll have some results on what could be causing this whole illness and why _my_ Rex is in such critical condition." Holiday's smile widened slightly as she emphasized _her_ Rex, and everyone, save for Six, shuddered at her cold tone. "Some of you are probably wondering when White's head will show up on that screen, telling you that you should have been doing your jobs and that one of you is going to get fired. Or worse. The nice, usual threats right? Nothing new. So maybe one of you gets fired, maybe has to switch into a new division, but nothing life ending, right?" Holiday's smile was still there, but each doctor and scientist was backing away, waiting for the explosion.

"Well..." Holiday said after a few moments of silence, "I'm here to tell you that White will not be joining us for another ten minutes. Maybe fifteen." Holiday shrugged when the doctors' faces fell, each glancing at one another in silent horror, "See, I can't seem to _remember_ what time I told him the meeting was taking place, but I know it was sometime soon. Maybe. But hey, who cares right? It will get done eventually, even without me there to look over every last detail, making sure absolutely nothing is wrong and that nothing and _no one _is in jeopardy." Holiday's smile fell and she took a step forward, green eyes hardening, "But you all look worried, maybe even a tad concerned. Why? I mean, isn't that what you thought you could get away with? Wasn't that the same excuse I was given when I asked Dr. Lane why Rex had been left without an assigned physician for more than a day!" Holiday's voice rose with every word, but she caught herself before she screamed, taking a deep breath. All eyes were on her, wide and fearful.

"So…" She said once she was sure she was calm again, "I'm afraid to say that White isn't going to be joining us for this part of the discussion. You may or may not like it…but it does make my job a whole lot easier." Holiday took a long, deep breath, feeling slightly light headed. The doctors took a few steps away as she prepared to speak. Noah watched perplexed, wondering what Holiday was going to do. Bobo had a wicked smile on his face, eyes narrowed as he watched the scientists and doctors continue to squirm under the silence.

Then came the explosion.

"Why the _hell_ did you all leave Rex on his own! HUH?" Noah winced and backed into the wall, blue eyes wide as Holiday raised her voice, "A whole twenty fours hours without a doctor or scientist monitoring his condition! What if his nanites had overloaded? What if they had malfunctioned…oh wait, they _did_. And the fact that none of you took a single moment to assign the appropriate doctor to oversee him while I was away is appalling! Now Rex is sitting on an exam table, waiting for the results of a test that should have been conducted hours ago! Are you incapable of so much as breathing when I'm not here to oversee your every move? Would it have been that hard to test him while I was coming?" Holiday paused for breath, her face getting red and her eyes flashing. Noah pressed himself further against the wall, and the scientists all tried to take a step back, but Holiday advanced on them.

"Those test results should have been ready by the time I had stepped off the darn Providence helicopter, but instead I was barking out orders for them to be conducted and now we have to _wait_! I do not have to have to tell you how risky is. Low and behold, Rex has gotten worse within the past few hours, and now I'm scrambling to figure out what's wrong. And so help me, if he should get even worse, should something happen to him, you'll all be worse than fired. So much worse. You think White is bad when it comes to your screw ups? Just wait until I'm through with you. You won't be able to so much as get a job as a janitor in one of the most rundown hospitals in the country, let alone work here! I will not have this kind of sloppy practice when Rex's life and well being depends on us, and yes that means _all of you_, on doing our jobs right! You all-"

Noah blinked, his ears ringing with the sound of Holiday's voice as it echoed around the room, her shouting causing his head to pound. But by the heavens she was scary. So incredibly scary and Noah counted his blessings. He was not being yelled at by Holiday. He was not about to die, because really, she looked ready to rip some of these guys throats out.

Noah's eyes caught a small flash of light and he looked back at the monitor just as White's head appeared on the screen, his face grave. Holiday hadn't noticed yet, too busy reaming out Dr. Lane as he tried to stutter out an excuse, but White cleared his throat, all eyes going to him. Holiday paused and whipped around, her eyes still narrowed and dangerous, but her mouth snapped shut. "That's enough Holiday." White said, his voice calm, "I'll handle them from here. But first, what about the test results?"

Holiday nodded and straightened herself out, tucking a black strand of hair behind her ear. "We should be getting the results soon. His nanites keep bottoming out and then spiking right back up, so I have no idea what to expect. It could have something to do with the incident yesterday, but still, we won't know until I get the proper reading." Noah swallowed, eyes wide. _H-How can she go back to normal after-after all of that!_

"Then report to me when it's finished. And was it necessary to bring all of them here?" White said, his eyes traveling to Noah and Bobo. Noah looked toward the ground but Bobo smirked, glaring at the man. Holiday shrugged, a smile playing on her face.

"I'll keep it in mind next time." She said. She had already turned around and was heading for the door, motioning for Noah and Bobo to follow her as Six typed in the keys.

"See that you do. I don't want a repeat of this incident." Noah wasn't sure whom White was referring to now, but as the door made of steel slid shut behind him, he shuddered. White's voice managed to carry through the metal, and it seemed the scientists would be getting no easier a time from him then Holiday. But then an image of Rex nearly throwing himself over to throw up flashed in his mind and he felt a sickening wave of angry satisfaction. _Serves them right_, he thought savagely. He glanced back up at Holiday as she and Six started to move down the hallway, and glanced at Bobo before the two started to follow. Noah's stomach tightened as he watched the adults tense backs and the no longer smiling monkey.

He wished Rex was there to make the tension go away.

* * *

Holiday looked over the computer screen again...then again...then a third time just to be sure. Agent Six was over her shoulder, but Holiday knew he didn't understand the symbols, numbers, and information on the screen. She wasn't even sure if she did, and she had years of experience. But...that was a lie. She did have a good idea of what the screen was telling her, she just didn't like the implications. At all.

_If White ever lets Dr. Lane near Rex again, I'll personally rip the man a new one. _Holiday vowed in her anger, standing up and walking away from the monitor. She pinched the bridge of her nose as her head started to pound, a new headache already on the horizon. _This isn't good...this isn't good at all. How did it even happen? Was it that trip the other day to get that Evo? I mean, it's the only thing that makes sense. Unless there's something else that Six or Rex isn't telling me. Well, Six is out. He wouldn't be withholding anything, it wouldn't make sense. Rex? Possible, but he's out cold right now. I don't want to wake him up but-_

"Doctor." Holiday jumped and whipped around, her face heating up as she nearly met Six's chest. He steadied her, grabbing her by the arm, and asked in a quiet voice, "What were the results?"

Holiday sighed, looking down at the floor and taking interest in Six's shiny black shoes. "His nanites...I don't know what to make of it. It's like they're malfunctioning."

"Like when an Evo-"

"N-No, nothing like that!" Holiday shook her head, shuddering at the thought of Rex really losing control. Becoming another target for Providence to take down…she would never allow that. "Thank goodness nothing like that. But I was looking over some of the data and the code seems wrong. Like something's tampered with it." Holiday blinked, pulling away from Six and looking over his shoulder, eyes wide. "Like they got sick...all jumbled and fuzzy."

"What do you mean Holiday?" Six followed her back to the monitor, watching as she pulled up one of the frames that held a sequence of numbers, all made up of ones and zeroes. To Six it looked like just a bunch of numbers, but Holiday seemed to be making some sense of them. Her eyes narrowed at some of the numbers as the trailed along the screen, and then she was typing away, pulling up a computerized model of Rex's basic anatomy. She switched back to the monitor, fingers moving nimbly across the keys, and Six watched as several of the numbers were highlighted red. Six blinked. More and more numbers were being highlighted red. And every key Holiday hit seemed to make ten more of the numbers turn red. Just red, red, red!

"Holiday..."

"Just give me a second Six." She said softly, her eyes scrunching up as she looked at the screen. She shook her head, worry lines appearing under her eyes and along her cheeks as she took a deep breath, trying to clear her thoughts. And maybe stop her heart from beating so fast. Holiday sighed and pulled up the other screen with Rex's image, several red blaring spots appearing along his chest, stomach, and head. "This...just isn't good." Holiday sighed and stepped away from the computer again, tilting her head up and taking a deep breath. Six waited, as calm and cool as ever, but he shifted as he thought of what she found out.

Just what was wrong with Rex?

"Six," Holiday started, opening her eyes and looking at the Agent, "You know how a computer works right? For the most part?" Six nodded slowly, and Holiday continued, "On its own, it can run efficiently. Depending on its components, the computer will run either fast or slow, the displays will be different, and it can store more files. As long as it is taken care of, the computer will continue to function properly." Six nodded again, not quite sure what she was getting at. "Now, even if the computer is well taken care of, sometimes the user will make a mistake. They may click on a bad link, or try something they know they shouldn't, and they wind up getting malicious software on the computer. We generally call them viruses."

Six's hand clenched and he nodded stiffly, but Holiday continued, her eyes cloudy, "Viruses can be very simple to get rid of…or very difficult. A particularly bad virus can make the computer shut down completely, and even if it manages to recover, it's possible it will not run the same again, or that something winds up getting lost. Or a lot of personal data. Worst case scenario...you lose the whole thing. Sometimes there are programs that run to try and keep the computer clean or purge the virus from the system, but there's only so much they can do, and some of the routines can result in a loss of data." Holiday stopped and both stood in silence, only the monitor's beeping interrupting the quiet.

"So Rex..." Holiday nodded as Six trailed off, and Six felt something tighten in his chest.

"It works in a similar way at least." Holiday said, taking a step toward the computer, "There's something wrong with Rex's nanites. The code on half of them seems jumbled, but I can't be too sure. After all, it's only a partial decoding of what I've managed to find. But these red areas..." Holiday pointed toward some of the red ones and zeros, "Is where a lot of the problems seem to be coming from."

"So Rex's illness?"

"It could be a side effect of the bug. It wouldn't surprise me at least. It could even be from the nanites themselves. They could, very well, be trying to fix themselves. Restore the proper code…" Holiday shook her head, "For all I know, it could even be a combination of the two. And Rex...I don't know how to help him Six. I mean, if the nanites are trying to recover from something, he might just lose his..." Holiday sighed again, her eyes looking dark and angry and so, _so _worried. "I-It's possible that this could be a trigger. It could be happening already and there's nothing I can do." Holiday's voice rose and she swallowed the burning sensation that started in her throat, looking away from Six and blinking her eyes as fast as she could. Six said nothing but Holiday found an incredible comfort in his presence. Her hands shook and she clenched them, refusing to let herself fall apart. _Not now. Rex still needs me. I need to figure this out. _

_I will figure this out. _

There was silence between them again. Holiday blinked one more time to rid herself of any wetness in her eyes, and Six watched her, wondering what he could do, and realizing there was little. The only thing that would help was if Rex got better. She needed it, Noah needed it, Bobo needed it.

And he wouldn't admit it out loud, but _he _needed it too.

"Holiday." Six said, keeping his tone aloof and indifferent, although on the inside a part of him was twisting, coiling just slightly despite his attempts to fight the feeling. She looked at him, her green eyes questioning, and he continued, "Could this have been caused by the incident with the Evo the other day? When he cured the animal?" _Is it my fault? Was it because I didn't do my job?_

Holiday didn't answer him.

It is the only answer he needs.


	5. We Are Dust and Shadow

**So here we are for an actually timely update! Huzzah! I hope this chapter is all right I wanted to-well, I guess I'll see if I pulled it off. Anyway, a thank you to: Purpleanime (Will do! :D), TheEndReaper (*blush* Thank you! Glad you're excited for it!), Lina Trinch (I kind of like making Six feel guilty. Is that bad? But thanks!), jessica499499 (Lol, I loved writing that scene. It's fun to make her mad and want to kill people for being idiots!), MomoFace(*blush* Thank you! I hope I can keep it up, but I always worry. Lol. Glad you thought it was epic too! Perhaps more will be revealed...or will it- *stops self* And she is BA! Go Holiday!), and (Yes! I knew you'd like it. It does sound so much cooler. And hugs for you! *hugs* I didn't know you'd get teary eyed. And no problem! *blushes bright* Really? Th-Thanks!).**

**You guys are all so awesome! A chapter for you! :D**

* * *

_Pulvis et umbra sumus - _

**Horace**

* * *

Rex opened his eyes, blinking as the bright light hit him, making him squint in discomfort. He shivered and yawned, looking around the room and trying to remember what had happened to him. First there was Holiday...he had been talking with her right? Then...then he started feeling funny...and he threw up.

"Gross." Rex mumbled, wiping his tongue against the roof of his mouth as if he could still remember the taste. Rex raised an eyebrow when he noticed the machines by him, and that he was in a bed, and wondered again what had gone down after he passed out. Rex shrugged and sat up, smiling when he saw that none of the machines were attached to him and that he could move freely. He looked around the room, taking in the same plain walls and a few empty beds in the room, half expecting to see Holiday or Six in the room. Instead there was no one.

"Okay...weird much." Rex swung his legs over the bed and stood, wobbling slightly before his legs locked in place. He smiled, rolling his arm and basking in the fact that he couldn't feel a single bit of pain. Not a throb from his stomach, not a bit of a headache, and no weird dreams to freak him out and make him wonder just what was going on his psyche. "And no more shivers!" Rex cheered to himself, taking a few steps forward. He froze when he saw something shift in the room, narrowing his eyes and straining to look on the other side of the room. Holding his breath, he turned around, eyes darting along the walls to try and find the mysterious shadow.

_My imagination? _Rex took a few steps forward and waved his hand in front of him, as if to knock away whatever had been there. He sighed when nothing came out and smirked, puffing out his chest a little. _Just my imagination then! Of course, not even my imaginary shadows can stand up to this, now can they?_

"They sure can't." Rex jumped and whipped around, swallowing the swear that had been ready to fly from his mouth as he looked around the room. His eyes immediately focused on the character sitting on one of the beds, his elbows leaning against the white sheets, head tilted in the air as he basked in the fluorescent lighting. But what really threw Rex off...

...the guy looked just like him.

It was the same white shirt with dark blue near the top, minus the red and orange jacket. The same pants, even the same goggles even though they rested around his neck instead of on top of his head. The look alike ran a hand through his dark hair, fixing brown eyes on Rex and smirking. "You look a little shocked Rex. Can't say I blame you though. I mean, how often do you get the pleasure of talking with _you_? A privilege right? Just let it sink in for a second."

Rex snorted and took a step forward, hands forming fists, "There's only one me here, and I'm him." Rex blinked, looking up at the ceiling. _That made sense right? Yeah. That made sense. _

"Only one you? Now that's quite the assumption to make Rex. There never really is just _one_ you. It wouldn't really be you if that was the case. No...there's a lot of you. You just happen to be the newest one and up to bat. But who knows? Maybe I'll get a shot soon." The doppelganger said, his smirk widening. Rex gritted his teeth and rushed forward, grabbing the doppelganger by the collar and lifting him off the bed.

"Just what are you getting at?" Rex glared at the doppelganger but he didn't seemed fazed, just shrugging as his hands grabbed Rex's own. Rex almost shivered. The others hands were freezing to the touch.

"You know, I don't get it myself. We don't get it unless you do, and we all know that's not gonna happen. At least not now. But who knows? You might get it eventually, and then everything might go back to normal. But I have to say, you'd be amazed by what's there if you just looked. And we've got the perfect opportunity now." The doppelganger continued, smirking at Rex's confused look. He tugged at Rex's hands and Rex lowered him back to the bed, taking a step away from the doppelganger.

"What do you mean?" Rex asked, looking around the room. Rex shuddered, wondering why the room suddenly felt colder. The air was hurting his cheeks, making them burn when touched and almost too numb to move.

"We have to look Rex. We'd be capable of so much more if we just looked in and saw what it was all about. I think we're the only ones who can do it." The doppelganger fixed Rex with an even stare, "_You're_ the only one who's gotten close enough. The truth Rex. Think of what we could do with the truth."

Rex shook his head, taking another step back. "This is just a dream. That's all. I'll just wake up and all of this will turn out to be one weird-"

"Is your life a dream then Rex? When you wake up and have no clue who you are? Is that past life just a dream? You think you're the only one, the only side that's felt that way? We want to, we want to so badly. We want to know what's going on! Come on Rex! Come ON!" The doppelganger shouted, sliding off the bed and advancing at Rex. Rex growled and shoved the doppelganger away, grabbing his head as it gave a painful throb.

"Will you shut up!" Rex shouted, swaying as the world started to tilt. Rex bumped into one of the machines and slid down the metal, hissing as the cold burned his skin. But the doppelganger continued to shout at him, telling him to get up and fix this, or to figure out what they all want to know. _What does he mean _all_? Who can they all be! And my head won't stop hurting! _

"We have to know Rex! We have to know! You're the only one who can. Who are our parents? Our brother? Are they even alive? What about us? Just who are we? We need you to figure this out Rex!" Only now it wasn't just the doppelganger's voice, but many, all clamoring for Rex's attention. Some of the voices were high pitched and whiny, others older with a tinge of sadness or loss. Some were just too mumbled for Rex to make any sense of them, their voices only adding to the noise that made his head pound. Each word, each sound, was like digging nails into his temples. In fact, Rex wished nails were digging into his head. At least then he'd be bleeding and some of the pressure would go away!

"_...Brother."_

"_..an accident...no one could have-"_

"_It's like he talks to them."_

"_And if I do this...if I give them to you-"_

"_It starts here."_

"_...bet you can't wait for it-"_

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!" Rex chanted, curling in on himself as the voices persisted.

"We want to know!" The doppelganger shouted above all the noise. And Rex's head continued to pound.

"It's just me!" Rex shouted back, knocking his head against the machine as the voices went on, barreling into his head, making his brain feel slow and groggy. "It's just me! And yes I want to know! I want to! But this is-" Rex snapped his mouth shut as the voices shouted above his own voice, deafening him. Rex tried to open his eyes, but all he saw were spots and the dimmest shadow if his doppelganger before his eyes slipped shut again.

"_You're not the only one Rex. Think about all the others. All the other Rexs that have gotten up and lived before you. They are just as much you as you are."_

Rex shook his head, unable and unwilling to sort out his thoughts, let alone the cryptic words of another. All he wanted was sleep, for silence, and for all the voices to just shut up and leave him alone!

"You have to Rex...You have to."

"We'll fade."

"You'll fade."

"Like before..."

"Shut up." Rex repeated, huddling in on himself and rocking back and forth, "Just go away!" Rex jolted and lifted his hands away from his sides, blinking as he tried to register what the strange tingling in his hands was. He looked around the room, waiting for his eyes to catch the doppelganger or the machines or the bed or _something. _But all he saw was the color white...

"Ah-Ow-" Rex looked back down at his now throbbing hands and bit down a scream, warm coppery blood filling his mouth as his tongue bled from the abuse. But his eyes were fixed on his hands as they started to crack like glass that was about break. Just as the thought crossed his mind, his hands shattered into tiny fragments of red and orange and brown, disappearing into the air as specks of dust. The cracks continued up his arms and toward his neck, chipping away at his body.

He screamed.

* * *

When Rex opened his eyes again, he was caught in mid-scream with the monitors beating rapidly and a rush of voices around him. For one frightening moment he thought he was back in the room of whiteness and tried to lift his hands. _Are __they there? Am I-I broken or something? I'm not-_

Rex breathed out a sigh as he finally lifted his throbbing hands and saw that they _were _still there and that he was not breaking into many little pieces of Rex. Rex groaned when he felt the breathing mask around his face, bringing a shaking hand to the cup and trying to yank it up, but a warm hand on his own made him stop. Rex blinked, his eyes traveling up the white coated arm and meeting with green eyes. Rex smirked and tried to open his mouth to speak, but Holiday put her index finger to her mouth.

"Just rest Rex. You've had a tough day." Rex lowered his eyes, hearing the worry in her voice, and looked down at himself. He was still shirtless, his chest still bandaged, and tubes were running along the sides of his arm. He was still cold, his body shivering and goosebumps running down his arms, but he was covered in blankets. Rex groaned and rested his head back on the pillow, releasing a shuddering breath. He could feel Holiday's eyes on him and swallowed, taking a deep breath before managing a smile.

"You worry...too much Doc." Rex rasped, his throat burning from the effort. He tried to swallow the uncomfortable tickling he felt at the back of his throat and focused his eyes on Holiday. He paused and swallowed again, trying to wet his dry and achy throat. "I'll be good as new in no time, you'll see." Rex said, his voice stronger. "Can't keep me down for long….right?" Holiday smiled and gave him a slow nod, but Rex watched the way her eyes darken and felt his heart sink into his stomach. _Is it something the Doc…can't handle? But she can always-_

Holiday cleared her throat and tilted her head to the heart monitor, fixing Rex with worried eyes. "Seems you had quite the nightmare Rex. Anything you think you can talk about?" Holiday stepped forward and brought the blankets closer to Rex, her movements slow and careful. Rex closed his eyes and imagined her hand moving near him, the occasional brush of her hand on his arm that felt so warm and inviting. He held on to the moment, thanked her silently, before opening his eyes at her voice, "You don't have to if you're tired though. You can just go back to sleep for now. And don't' even try it if your throat hurts. You can tell me later, and if you want, I could probably give you something to stop any dreams you might be having."

"Doc." Rex said, looking around as his mind began to clear of the last of sleep and his nightmare. Even if he could still feel his hands shattering into bits of dust, that didn't mean he had to sit there and play the victim. _And she knows something. I can tell._ "Doc, what's wrong with me?" Rex swallowed when he saw her flinch and found himself looking down at the sheets, his throat feeling tight. "Am I-Am I going to forget everything? Am I going to black out or something?"

There was a long silence. Rex closed his eyes and listened to the monitor as it beeped with each heartbeat. He tried to slow it down as the noise grew louder and faster, refusing to seem weak in front of her. He did not need the machine blasting out how fast his heart was beating, did not need it telling the world, or even just Holiday, that he was afraid of the answer.

That he was afraid of losing everything.

"I don't know Rex. It's possible." Rex opened his eyes and nodded, eyebrows furrowing together as he tried to keep his face blank. _Six always make it look so easy. But I guess the glasses help. No one can see your eyes. _"Your nanites seem to be…infected with something. Like a virus. And whatever it is could be causing your illness, or your nanites are causing it by trying to get rid of the virus."

Rex blinked and started to push himself, ignoring Holiday as she tried to push him back down. He grabbed the rail of the bed and forced himself up, even as Holiday pressed on his shoulder to get him back down on the bed. "A virus? Where would I have-" Rex stopped and thought back to the red Evo from the other day, of the strange feeling he had gotten when he had tried to cure it. And he groaned again, running a shaking hand through his unruly hair. "The Evo right?" Rex didn't even look at Holiday. He already knew the answer. "Great. Just great. I go and screw up and this is what happens. And now I could blank out and forget all of you and there's nothing I can do about it!"

"Rex!" Holiday dug her fingers into his shoulder and forced him back on the bed, the monitors around them almost shrieking as Rex seethed. "I know you're frustrated but-"

"Doc, this is bad. Seriously bad. What am I supposed to do if I forget everything? What if this keep getting worse? And that dream. There was this other me, except it wasn't, and he kept talking about all this weird stuff and about other mes. Then there were all these voices and my hands shattered and-"

"Rex!" Holiday brought a hand to his chest, silencing him, and tried to smile. "It was just a dream Rex. That's all." Holiday brought her hand to Rex's forehead, frowning as her fingers warmed due to his feverish skin. "I'm going to do my best to help you Rex. We all just need to take a step back and start looking at this from a new perspective. If I can help your nanites fix the code, maybe this will stop."

Rex closed his eyes again, leaning into Holiday's touch, "I know. I just...I might still forget everything."

"And we'll deal with that when it comes." Holiday smiled again and leaned over the bed, giving Rex a chaste kiss on the forehead. "Even if you forget Rex, we'll all be here to help you remember. You won't be alone Rex. I promise."

Rex blinked at her, mouth hanging as his forehead tingled where her lips had touched his skin, his face becoming warmer. Warmth burst through his chest, making him swell, and he managed a smile of his own. "Thanks Doctor Holiday." Rex breathed, letting his head fall back onto the pillow. He kept smiling to himself, thinking of her kiss and burning it into his memories. _Wait until I tell Bobo. He'll flip! And Noah, when he finds out-_

_Wait._

"Wait Doc, what about Noah?" Rex asked, trying to push himself up again. Doctor Holiday shook her head and pushed him back down, muttering about having to rest, but Rex just shook his head. "But where is he?" Rex pressed, bringing a weak hand to the rail as he tried to lift himself up. He did not notice when Holiday stopped trying to push him back toward the bed, too focused on lifting himself into a sitting position. But as she finally managed to heave himself up, he took notice of the long silence, interrupted only by the machines around him, and looked at Holiday. Her eyes had darkened and she was staring ahead, away from Rex, with her mouth slightly parted. Rex titled his head to the side and followed her line of vision, wondering what had gotten her so worked up in the first place.

His heart jumped into his throat. There was Noah standing just a few feet away from the door. The blond's skin was pale, but Rex only saw the brief widening of the eyes before the Noah's blue eyes darkened. His skin remained ghostly white but he took a few steps into the room, his footsteps echoing loudly as they hit the floor. Rex did not dare look away, both boy's eyes fixing on each other as Noah continued his steady trek forward, and Rex almost scowled as the heart monitor gave away his nervousness with each rapid heartbeat. Rex could feel the fever in his cheeks, even as he resisted the urge to shiver. His heavy head throbbed and his stomach churned, and he wondered silently if he was about to have another episode. Or if he was just really, really nervous.

"Rex..." Noah stopped just short of the bed before glancing at Doctor Holiday. Her eyes widened and she glanced at Rex before looking back at Noah, before giving him a slow nod.

"He can't talk long. I don't want him using more energy than he has to." Holiday said, glancing at the machines and pulling out a small pad of paper from her pocket, jotting some of the numbers down. "Don't stress him out or I'll pull you out of here faster than you can say Helsinki. Got it Noah?" Holiday said, not even glancing at the two boys as she walked out of the room. Rex spluttered behind her, shaking his head and silently begging her to come back, but the metal door snapped soundly behind her. Rex stared at the door, eyes wide and jaw on the verge of dropping, before his attention snapped back to Noah. The blond wasn't looking at him now though, but leaning against the rail of the bed and studying the machines, only showing Rex his back. Rex felt his throat tighten and looked down at his hands, feeling strangely guilty for keeping this particular secret for so long.

_But it's not really as secret. I mean, we just never got around to talking about it. It's not my fault he didn't ask about the "weird things that tend to happen to Rex". And he should seriously know by now. I mean, come on, he's been hanging around me how long? Besides, why should I feel guilty! He was keeping secrets too..._

_So why do I still feel lousy?_

"It's been over a day you know." Noah said, shaking Rex from his thoughts. He did not turn to look at the Evo, and Rex didn't know whether to be annoyed or grateful for it. "I mean that last time, when you started to puke your guts out, it was looking pretty bad for you."

Rex shrugged, trying to smile, only for it to come out as a bitter looking smirk. "I'll get over it! You know how these things work. Hero gets sick, looks bad for a second, hero proceeds to prove how awesome he is by kicking the disease's butt! You know, usual suspense stuff."

Noah snorted, but there was no humor in his voice, "Whatever floats your boat Rex." Noah paused, still keeping his back to Rex. Noah closed his eyes and listened to the heart monitor as it gradually slowed down to a more stable beat. Noah took a silent breath before he continued, "I went home once and told my mom a bit about what was going on. I told her I was coming back here though, to make sure you were all right and didn't dig yourself any deeper. I told her enough about you that she basically knows what I meant."

Rex snorted, although a part of him felt...comforted in knowing Noah cared enough to come back, "Thanks Noah. Glad to know my reputation is spreading."

Silence again. Rex glanced at Noah, then back down at his hands, wondering what to say. Or, better yet, what Noah had heard. "I guess..." Rex looked up at Noah, watching as his friend's shoulders stiffened, "I guess I can't really complain. I mean, I did kind of hide something important from you." Rex snorted and Noah smiled, shaking his head, "All right, really important. I guess-I mean, Rex, you can trust me you know. I know that sounds like a bunch of bull after everything, but. I don't know, I guess I just-"

"I know what you mean Noah." Rex said, cutting Noah off. Noah snapped his mouth shut and turned around to look at Rex, his stomach tightening. "I guess...I guess I tried to use that as an excuse. I mean, I was really...well, you know who I got when you told me what you were doing with White. I really, really wanted to punch you out then, but since we were going to die and all that, it didn't seem all that smart."

"You still tried it."

Rex chuckled, "Yeah. Guess so." Rex swallowed, running a hand through his hair, "But you know, it doesn't mean much if I'm doing that to you. I guess." Rex shrugged and Noah let out a laugh, shaking his head.

"Being a bit mature is really killing you isn't it?" Noah asked, smirking.

"You know it. I can feel a part of me die for each second I remain "mature." It's not much fun." Rex stopped and looked down at the bedsheets, clenching his hands around the blankets. "You sure you want to know?" He asked, looking up at Noah.

Rex was surprised by the smile on Noah's face and the small shrug he gave.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

* * *

"So his condition hasn't improved?" Six kept his eyes on the screen, White Knight glancing down at is interlocked fingers before shaking his head. "Just what we needed."

"Doctor Holiday is working on a solution as we speak." Six said, his posture stiff and sure. White glared down at Six, his mouth set in a firm frown.

"There's no guarantee that she can do anything for him though, is there? He's our ace in the hole Six. If we lose him, this war is as good as over. We just aren't far enough in the nanite research that we can replace him." White did not notice the way Six stiffened, and almost impossible task for the already strict agent. " How did this even happen. You were supposed to be watching him and making sure he didn't do anything too foolish. It can jeopardize everything!" White paused, taking a deep breath, "Do you know what the likely outcome of this is?"

"Doctor Holiday says Rex may have a black out soon." Six said simply. White's eyes widened and the two were silent, Six watching White carefully as the man's eyes seemingly roved the deck in front of him.

"Then..." White said after a long silence, "This may not be a waste after all."

"Sir?"

"If Rex does black out, we can take him in early in hone him into a real weapon. No more frivolous trips to insure his emotional well being, no more reckless behavior, no more sneaking out, and no more dangerous missions." White listed, eyes suddenly alight, "If Rex were doing just as he was told, then we might actually make some headway with this war. He can be trained without any distractions and we won't have to worry about his constant rebellious nature." White almost smiled, but it came out as a smug smirk more than anything.

"I want you to keep an eye on him Six. Let me know if this actually occurs. We both know the good doctor will try and hide it if she thinks it will harm him." Six stiffened again, so much so that it looked as if he could not move, and turned away without giving White a single nod. White followed Six out of the room until the screen want black and the metal doors slid shut behind the green suited man. Six stood still for a few moments right outside the door, chest tight and hands clenched, and he did not even glance at Bobo as he came down the hallway.

Bobo glanced at the Agent and almost snorted before making to turn, but stopped when he noticed the paleness of Six's hands from his tight fists. Bobo's eye only widened when he saw the faintest bit of blood trail down Six's hands. "What's eating you?" Bobo asked, raising an eyebrow. But on the inside he was squirming, wondering just what had happened to make the Agent react like that. Six just turned his head toward Bobo and the monkey felt his insides go cold. Six slowly released his hands, eyebrows disappearing behind his shades.

"Go."

Bobo just nodded and hurried down the hallway, but not before the sound of metal clanging and a blade singing reached his ears.


	6. From the Depths

**I'm sorry this took so long to get out. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just sort of did. But I am glad you're enjoying the story everyone!**

**Anon Reviews:  
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**Rawrzii-Yay! I'm glad you're liking it and that White was good. He can be a bit hard to portray realistically. Thanks!**

**Yes. I loved all your reviews last chapter(s). I'm going to just reply to them through pms if that's all right though. There were so many and there was a lot of text here at first. I hope this is all right and that you'll enjoy the next installment. Onward we go!  
**

* * *

_De profundis._

* * *

Rex leaned back in the clean white bed and watched Noah out of the corner of his eyes, his throat throbbing from all the talking he just did. His eyes were feeling heavy but he blinked hard and forced them open, determined to see Noah's reaction. Noah sat still on the edge of the bed, looking over at the machines with clouded eyes. Finally Noah shifted, looking down at Rex and trying to give him a smile. It fell flat, his lips twitching oddly before forming a straight line, and he shrugged.

"Well...that sucks."

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Rex said, sighing out the last few words. Rex leaned further into the pillows and brought the blankets up, forcing Noah to stand. Rex held back a snicker which quickly turned into a yawn he had to swallow.

"And it can happen anytime then?" Noah asked, looking toward the floor.

Rex blinked and nodded, titled his head toward the ceiling, "That's what Doc thinks anyway. Something traumatic triggers it...and this might be it." Rex tried to shrug but all his muscles felt stiff. There was an odd prickling in his eyes and he gritted his teeth against it. _What am I, a girl? _

"Can we do anything?" Noah asked, eyes looking at Rex once more. Rex closed his eyes and felt his throat swell shut, almost making him choke. He forced his eyes open and looked at Noah, shaking his head.

"I don't know. It doesn't look like we can really stop it. But hey-" Rex smiled this time, managing that shrug, "That doesn't mean anything right? I've gotten out of worse situations before." Rex continued to smile but Noah shook his head, running a hand through his blond locks.

"I really don't think so Rex." Rex's smile fell for a moment and he raised an eyebrow, but a smirk soon took its place.

"What do you mean Noah? I mean, this is _me_ we're talking about and-"

Noah shook his head once more, his blue eyes hardening as he took a step toward the bed. Rex let the smile fall this time, narrowing his own eyes as he pushed himself back into a sitting position. Rex opened his mouth to speak but Noah cut across him, "Quit pretending that you're fine when you're not. This is serious Rex and you-you did sound afraid back there so..."

"Shut it Noah." Rex said, clenching his hands on the sheets, making them wrinkle between his fingers. Noah glared but turned his head away, looking toward the door. Rex swallowed and leaned forward, closing his eyes to rest his aching head, "It's not like this is the first time it's happened. I _supposedly _have had these black outs before. So, just in case, I started this journal."

"A diary?" Noah asked, eyebrows shooting up.

"No! A journal! Journal!" Rex shook his head, face flushing, "Not some diary. Don't make it sound all girly."

"Whatever." Noah said, barely containing a small smirk.

"Anyway," Rex said, glaring at Noah, "I've been writing everything I need to know down. Like, about Providence and Van Kleiss. Bobo, Holiday, Agent Six, you. And how annoying White is and how awesome I am, along with all the powers and stuff. And ways to get out of Providence and-"

"Rex..." Noah interrupted.

"Right. Well, things like that. I'm supposed to look it over if anything like this happened so...yeah." Rex rolled his eyes but his body seemed tense, every movement stiff. "I guess I'll just have to rely on it if that is what's going on." Silence fell between the two boys and neither looked at each other. Rex's skin was burning from embarrassment and making him itch, yet he was still cold from the chills. His stomach churned at the conflicting sensation and he looked at his pillow longingly. Noah was staring at the floor, eyes hidden by his bangs as he tried to sort through everything Rex had told him. _So...he might really be losing it huh? I might be...well, come on! What am I supposed to do! _Noah glared at the ground, his chest swelling, but he swallowed hard.

"So...you talked about me huh? Did you write down everything?" Noah eventually asked, looking up at Rex. Rex started, falling straight into the pillows he had been lowering himself toward, but nodded at Noah.

"Everything." Rex blinked when Noah's eyes darkened, but smiled and shook his head, "Idiot, I said we were friends again too. And don't worry, I didn't say I still needed to punch you out or anything. But no promises if I decide to do it anyway." Rex said, smile turning into a grin. "I mean, come on, probably the first thing I'd think to do."

Noah snorted and rolled his eyes, but his chest still squeezed, "Yeah, like you could."

"Is that a challenge?" Rex yawned from his bed, clenching his eyes as they watered, "I'll take you on." he slurred.

"Maybe." Noah walked toward the bed and pushed Rex down, smirking at him as Rex sputtered. "How about you get better first. Otherwise it'll be even less of a challenge than it already is." Rex's eyes widened and he almost shot back up.

"Oh, you better believe it's on! Just you wait Noah, the moment I'm outta of this place I'll be kicking your butt at the basketball court! You won't know what hit you! You'll be sorry you ever tried to make a fool of the great and almighty Rex!" Rex pumped his fist for good measure, but his arm fall back to the bed with a soft thud, eyes fluttering close. "But sleep first."

Noah snorted, watching as Rex slowly breathed in and out, the Evo curling in on himself as he started to snooze. Snores started to float away from Rex and Noah turned and started out toward the connecting room, his chest unusually tight. "So he'll forget everyone and everything huh?" Noah blinked and glanced at Rex before looking away. He bit his lip, "That really does suck..." Noah swallowed the lump in his throat and started toward the door again, "But I guess I'll just have to stick around and make sure he remembers everything." Noah nodded to himself and waited as the sliding door slipped open, Doctor Holiday waiting for him on the other side.

"Hello Noah." She said, smiling at him. Noah glanced at her and saw some dark lines under her eyes, her shoulders dropping as she held a clipboard to her chest. "I'm guessing he told you?" She asked, leaning against the wall.

"Yeah..." Noah shook his head and hardened his voice, "Can you do anything for him?" Holiday let out a silent sigh, rolling her head against the wall.

"I _am _trying. This is a unique case so it will take more time. Not that we have it." Holiday mumbled to herself, glaring at the floor.

"Leave it to Rex to make things difficult." Holiday smiled, nodding and walking with Noah toward the exit, when the door slid open. Agent Six stood in the doorway, his mouth drawn in the smallest of scowls and his body strangely stiff. Noah backed away from the man, feeling an aura of sheer _anger_ coming from the dangerous man, and he glanced at Doctor Holiday. She raised an eyebrow at the agent but glanced down and saw Bobo just behind Six. The monkey shrugged at her and Holiday looked back at the agent. _What's wrong then? _Holiday glanced at Noah, noting the kid's wide eyes and sudden...quiver. _Six..._

"Bobo, I want you to escort Noah out. He needs to get home soon, it's almost dark." Noah jumped and shook his head, not wanting to go past the scary agent. Bobo grunted and moved forward, grabbing Noah by the jacket and hauling him out of the room. Noah almost yelped, clutching his own collar as he was bent at an odd angle so that Bobo could "lead" him out.

"Whatever you say Doc. Anything to get away from tall, dark and scary over there."

Noah glanced at the Agent when he finally yanked himself out of Bobo's clutches and leaned toward the monkey as much as he could without having to worry about being shoved into the agent. Six did nothing to help, his scowl becoming more prominent and his hands clenching further. Noah gulped, wishing he could merge the wall as Six took a step forward.

"L-Let me know if anything happens Doc." Noah managed, eyes roving the room as if he were noting all the exits, "I promise to be in tomorrow. B-Bye." And with a sharp prod in the back by Bobo, Noah was out of the room and sighing in relief.

Holiday watched as the door slid close before turning back to Six, "Care to tell me what that was about or was it just an unusual way of getting them to leave?" Holiday looked down at her clipboard, noting a strange fluctuation in Rex's nanites during his nap earlier. It was unlike the others. The numbers were unusually high, but also stable.

"Doctor." Holiday's eyes snapped up to Six and she raised an eyebrow. He had almost sounded...concerned. _But he is tense. Did something happen?_ "I need to talk to you. It's about Rex." Holiday's eyes widened and she nodded, setting the clipboard down on a small metal table near one of the monitor's in the small observation room.

"Come on then, we'll sit down for this." She said, motioning for several chairs by the computer. Six said nothing, taking a seat opposite Holiday and watching her behind his shades. "Well Six?" She prompted when he didn't immediately begin. Her eyes were clouded with concern and her forehead had worry lines running along the surface. Six nodded, feeling an odd...tightness in his chest at the sight.

He chalked that worry under White Knight too, feeling his anger for the man surge in his chest. Six took a deep breath, being sure to keep his eyes on Holiday even if she couldn't see his gaze, and began.

* * *

_The skies were painted varying hues of gray, leaving a dark overcast over the street. Buildings stretched for miles by the seemingly endless road, each structure tall and stretching toward the sky. The windows were all blacked out, impossible for anyone to see through, and there was a bright glare on each of them despite the lack of light. The street was slicked with rain, glistening under a nonexistent sun and leaving them slippery and wet. _

_And Rex stood alone. _

_He looked to each side of the street, bringing his bright jacket closer to his body as his fingers trembled. "Hey!" Rex called into the street, clenching his mouth when his teeth started to chatter, "H-Hey! Anybody out there?" His voice echoed strangely in the air, carrying into the streets and leaving Rex chilled. There was no call back, no shift in the air...not even a breeze. Only a deadness that left Rex feeling heavy, his head looking to his sides. His eyes narrowed at the buildings, waiting for something to come out. Perhaps the building wall would explode, sending debris in all directions as a monstrous Evo clawed its way out and charged at him? Maybe there would be a red portal, dark and eerie, a tell tale sign of Breach. Had she captured him again? But how-he didn't remember-_

"_Rex." Rex froze, his heat hammering loudly in his chest and climbing up his throat. He tried to swallow the lump down and looked around, eyes roving the still and empty street. "Rex." The voice said again, louder this time. Rex blinked. The voice was low and deep, but there was a hint of playfulness in the tone. A boy's voice sure…_But who? Who is it?

"_Oh, that's right Rex. You wouldn't remember would you?" Rex's body tensed as the voice blew by his ears. His shoulders hunched up and he whipped his head to the side, eyes searching the air for the source of the voice. Yet only buildings and cold, wet streets met his eyes. _

"_What is-"_

"_I thought you'd be more excited Rex. I mean, really, when was the last time you saw me? I hardly ever bother, so why so formal? I know your spiffy powers make you seem invincible, but still." The voice continued chatting away and Rex narrowed his eyes. _I'll show you then…just you wait creepy voice._But even as he thought it, his chest clenched. He bit back the odd pain, swallowing as he lifted his hand. Blue veins crept up his arms and the familiar metal encased his limb before a large fist sprouted in his arm's place. Rex stiffened and lifted the fist, prepared to strike once the voice spoke again. _If I can find it…then this is over. No way can this guy stand up to-

"_Still using your powers at the drop of a hat huh?" Rex's eyes widened and he swung his fist to the side, feeling a rush of air as his strike met with nothing. Rex took a step back, glancing at his sides and forming another large fist. "You should know better by now, but again, it goes into the whole you don't remember thing." Rex whipped around and swung again, only to lose his balance when he struck nothing, His fists slammed into the ground, sending chunks of the street into the air, debris skidding away from him. Rex growled, his machines falling apart as scrap on the ground so he could stand back up. _

"_Whatever this is, I'm done playing!" Rex shouted, ignoring the way his voice still echoed. Like he was really alone there… "Come out and fight me instead of hiding in the shadows! Or I'm really that intimidating?" Rex smirked, lowering his giggles over his eyes before swinging his arm out. An orange sword quickly formed, the blade trailing on the ground. "I mean, I guess I can't blame you. Just surrender!" _

_Rex froze when he felt something warm lean into his back. He strained his eyes to look behind him, just barely catching the shadow of another person. He was taller than Rex with hair going in all directions. His back was firm and familiar, and Rex almost closed his eyes at the gesture. But something inside him was still, his heart was beating louder and louder and the blood rushed in his head. _

"_Hmph…you really haven't changed too much. I mean, you _have _changed, but…you're still all rash. You never thought things through when you got emotional, but this is probably_ _closest you've come to a real thing. If there is a real thing." Rex said nothing as the figure shrugged, his throat closing as sweat beaded down his temple. The figure chuckled, "Wow. Nothing to say little brother?"_

What?

…

WHAT?

_Rex forced himself forward and turned to look at the figure, the person who claimed to be brother, but the world was disappearing. The sky was melting into itself, dripping lie paint onto the buildings below, and a large drop of gray splashed in front of Rex. "No! NO! I have to see! Let me see!" Rex shouted, running where the figured had gone, coughing as a rush of gray streamed into his mouth. He wiped away the mess that was smearing on his goggles, only to have the gray goop dribble into his mouth. Rex pooled saliva in his mouth and tired to spit the stuff out, shuddering as a metal, coppery taste filled his mouth. He worked in vain against the still rushing gray, the stream never-ending. If anything, Rex was being pushed back. _

"_No! Get back here! Get back here you jerk! I have questions! You're not-leaving-me!" Rex screamed, forcing his legs through the thick goop. But his legs stuck and he fell forward, head smashing into the muck. Rex gasped and lifted his head away, goop flying into the air as he coughed up the gray that had entered his mouth. _

"_Don't leave me here!" Rex shouted, slamming his hands into the slime. He stiffened when he felt something warm around him. Someone rested by his head, blew air by his ear with each breath._

"_You need to take care of yourself first brother. I can't have you dying on me. Think of it as a game. If you make it, I'll give you a clue. How about that?" Rex shook his head, shouting at himself as he felt his eyes sting. "Sorry Rex…but sometimes…you gotta do what you gotta do."_

"_But." _

"_Stay alive brother. Believe it or not, I don't want you dead." _

"_Why would I think you wanted me-" Rex stopped as he felt the figure shrug against him. Rex closed his eyes, h is shoulders dropping as his bones and muscles started to ache. He felt so tired…_

"_Little brother…you'll understand later." Rex sighed as he felt a hand press into his chest, jerking slightly when he felt himself being lifted into the air. He wanted to yell, to curse at his brother for leaving him again before telling him anything. Yet all he could do was close his eyes. _

_He was so tired._

…

…

"_Rex."_

Wha? _The area was wide and open again, only this time Rex could only see a vast stretch of white. He blinked, bringing a shaking hand to his chest and pressing it against his heart. The organ beat wildly underneath his fingers, the steady and rapid thrum reminding him all to well of the strange encounter. All the questions it brought up without ever giving him a single answer. And then a voice, sounding more like a collective bunch of voices speaking together, cut across his strange thoughts and lingering feelings of...loss._

"_Internal scan complete. A threat has been detected, Level 1." Rex growled but didn't reprimand the voice. Instead he shrugged, looking away from the direction it seemed to come from. _

"_Well...that's no so bad is it? I mean...lower levels, easier to handle right? Unless..."_

"_Infected nanites have been quarantined. However, as long as the threat remains within the system, all nanites, with the exception of nanite Coded: Everything, risk infection. Viral nanites must be expunged from the system or system shutdown is imminent. Awaiting protocol."_

"_Protocol? How am I supposed to know that? You guys are the machines aren't you! I want to know what the heck that was about! Was that really-really my brother or-"_

_Rex stopped speaking and reached for his chest again as it tightened, leaving him gasping. He looked around, waiting for something to pop up and explain, but the voice was talking again. "Vitals are crashing."_

"_My-My what?" Rex clenched his jaw and hunched over, letting out several short gasps as he tried to catch his breath. "Am-Am I dying or something? Huh? Come on, what's going o-" Rex inhaled and clutched his stomach, closing his eyes as it clenched and clenched. His stomach lurched then before tightening further, sending Rex into a coughing fit as he struggled down the hot acid climbing up his throat._

"_Protocol found. Host in immediate danger. Known drop off point: Abyssus." _

"_Pr-Protocol?" Rex choked, looking into the nothingness, "What kind of protocol tells you to take me to Abyssus!" _

"_Everything." _

"_Everything? What is with these-these-dreams! All they ever come out as are cryptic or weird or just plain-" Rex choked again, bitter liquid flying from his mouth and dribbling down his chin. His heart, which had been beating so quickly only moments ago, felt oddly...slow. Rex pressed his hand to his chest again and felt his heart as it gave a few weak pumps, before falling to his knees as his stomach lurched again. _

"_Stupid dreams..." Rex tried to keep his eyes open, but something warm and strangely...safe wrapped around him. He felt it tug at his already muddled mind, sent a soothing sort of calm through him. He felt something warm on his cheek, a tickling sensation as if he were being caressed._

_And he surrendered himself to peaceful, wholesome, dreamless sleep. _

* * *

"I won't let him." Six watched as Holiday stood from the chair, the wheeled seat gliding away as she began to pace. Her eyes were narrowed and flashing, and she glared at one of the monitors as if White's head would appear for her to bite into. She clenched her hands repeatedly, taking several breaths before turning to Six. "I will not let White make him into some kind of weapon. I don't care what his orders are, Rex does _not_ deserve this." She shook her head and looked out into the room where Rex rested, a large and wide window allowing her to see into the room. "I won't let it happen...I won't let _anyone_ do this." She glared at him as the words left her, taking a step toward him.

Six felt his chest tighten again as something hot seared through his body. He stood as well, although now he felt much calmer. As Holiday spoke he felt it burn inside him, the accusation. It made his skin tingle and his mouth oddly dry. He knew she was looking out for Rex but-

_No...now is not the time for fights. _"I know. That's why I told you." He watched as Holiday jumped, the doctor turning to look at him, "I won't follow these orders."

Holiday's face brightened, her first real smile in hours blooming on her face, and Six felt all the more uncomfortable. She smirked at him, her bright green eyes boring into his shades, and nodded. "I know that now Six." She paused, glancing at Rex again, "...Thank you."

Six said nothing but turned to look out toward Rex as well, noting the way the kid's chest rose and fell with each breath. It was odd for the agent to see the kid down this long, but then again, the whole thing didn't sit well with him. _If I had pulled him off. If I had finished the Evo sooner. _

"We'll need to figure something out if Rex does lose his memory. A way to keep it hidden from White." Holiday said, breaking through his thoughts.

"That will mean keeping it from most of Providence." Six said.

Holidays' shoulders drooped but almost immediately perked back up, a new vigor in her voice "There are a few soldiers that know Rex and want to help him. Maybe they-"

"Most of those soldiers also know that orders are orders. Even if some of them agree with our stance, a few soldiers won't make that much of a difference."

Holiday closed her mouth and turned away, glaring ahead of her as her mind whirred. When she spoke again she was slow and careful with her words, "Then maybe we don't need to hide it long. Rex has been keeping that journal hasn't he? If we get it to him before White can do anything, then Rex will at least know he was someone else before. He can resist."

Six considered her for a moment before giving a slow nod, "It could work. We'll still have to be careful though." Six paused, focusing on Rex again, "Knowing who he was won't make him who he is. White could still crush that part of him."

Holiday smiled but her eyes were dark, her forehead wrinkled with worry lines, "Rex is strong. He'll show White. He's done it before. Something tells me that...it's just a part of him. Part of him to-"

"Constantly go against authority figures?"

Holiday rolled her eyes but her smiled widened, "Something like that." Holiday looked back out at Rex, her eyes straying toward the machines monitoring Rex's condition. Her smile fell and she bit her lip, moving around Agent Six and heading out the door. Six raised an eyebrow as the door slid closed, moving toward the door himself and following her as she hurried toward Rex's bed. "Something's odd…" Holiday trailed off as she reached Rex's bed, watching the displays as the machines hummed and beeped.

"Did I imagine it?" Holiday whispered, pressing some buttons on one of the monitors. Six watched her for a moment before his attention turned to Rex. The kid's face was scrunched up and Rex was biting his lip in his sleep, a small trail of blood sliding down his mouth.

"Holiday-" Alarms began to blare, the loud screeching sounds startling Holiday and Six. Six held back a grunt as Holiday elbowed him out of the way, her face flushing as she started to pull at the wires attached to the machines. She hurried over to Rex, eyes constantly glancing up at the vitals as they screamed red at her, flashing as numbers dropped or skyrocketed. Six took a step forward but almost immediately went back as Holiday hurried by him again, almost knocking him away. "Holiday what do you-"

"Get the others." Holiday snapped at him, her eyes narrowing as she leaned over Rex, inserting tubes into his mouth. She titled Rex's head and started to slide the tube in, quick but careful as she started looking at the machines again. "I don't care who as long as they're a doctor. Rex is-" Holiday's eyes widened when she heard a long, dull beep that left her ears ringing. "He's crashing!"

Six's own eyes widened, hidden by his glasses, and he turned on his heel and ran for the door. It was just sliding open when eh heard Holiday yell. He glanced back at her, opening his mouth, but the lights in the room flickered before dying all at once, bathing the room in darkness. Several of the bulbs even sparked as they blew out, the little orange flashes dying before they reached the floor. Six tensed, his hand clenching at his side, and he hurried over to Holiday and Rex, their figures odd, lumpy shapes in the darkness.

"S-Six?" Holiday watched as the man made his way back to the, but she gasped and turned back toward Rex, her shaky hands feeling for a pulse. "Be okay Rex. Be okay." Yet as Holiday reached for Rex's neck, Six's warmth pressing close to her as she leaned toward Rex, a hand snatched her wrist. Holiday winced and tugged at the bruising grip, but her mouth went slack as a pale blue glow came from the bed. Her eyes widened despite the burning blue light, and she felt Six tense beside her.

Rex only stared at them with pupil-less, pale, glowing blue eyes.


	7. Prepared For All Things

**Hello! I am SO sorry this took so long. I had a lot of stuff going on and had a bit of trouble with this chapter. I think it turned out all right in the end, but again, I hope you're all enjoying it as well. I'll try to be more punctual next time (and not edit at the wee hours of the morning. Gosh I hope I caught all the mistakes). But thank you for all the support! **

**Reviews:**

**XBondXOfXFlamesX- I shall! Lol, sorry about that. I kind of like you!  
**

**Noname- Lol, I shall do my best! But thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the story.**

**Astro-Mcphearson- *blush* Really? I'm so glad you like it! *hugs* Thank you so much! I'll keep doing my best! As for Rex...we shall see...**

**fireflies367- *blush again then hugs* Thank you! Glad you think the characters are IC and are just enjoying the story in general. Thank you so much!  
**

**Anyway, enough of my chatter. On with the chapter!**

* * *

_In omnia paratus._

* * *

"R-Rex?" Holiday stammered, pulling her wrist out of Rex's tight and bruising grip. Rex didn't respond, pushing himself up and sitting upright on the bed, pulling several of the wires from his body as he moved. Holiday's eyes widened as the wires fell, swinging back and forth as they hung from the machines. She grabbed Rex's shoulders, trying to push him back down on the bed, even as he ripped the oxygen mask from his face. Six rushed to Rex's other side and pressed against Rex's chest, inching him closer to the bed as Holiday worked on getting the tubes and wires back in place. The machines whined beside them, the monitors flickering as the back-up generators kicked them back to life. Several long, suffering beeps began to sounds as Holiday tried to hook the machines back up, small flashes of light making her wince. Yet the room itself remained dark, Rex's blue glowing eyes the brightest light in the sudden darkness.

"Hold still Rex." Six said, still pressing a hand against Rex's chest. Rex didn't say a word, instead grabbing onto Six's wrists and pushing them away from him, locking his arms in place to keep his unsteady grip. Rex's arms shook with the effort of keeping the older, stronger man at bay, and Six tightened his grip, watching as annoyance flashed on Rex's face. Rex frowned, but tensed not a moment after before his face contorted, his mouth opening in a silent scream as small metal tubes erupted from his body. Six grunted as the tiny tubes hit him in the chest and stomach, digging into his skin as if to drill inside of him, and he released Rex as several more whip like pieces erupted from Rex's chest and stabbed at him. Six stepped aside, the tubes meeting thin air before recoiling, disappearing inside Rex. The teen arched, shaking his head as the machines reentered him.

"Why are his nanites doing this?" Six asked, glancing at Holiday. She shook her head, swallowing as she hurried to Rex, her eyes roving his features as he thrashed on the bed, but more little machines sprung up as she reached for him. Holiday and Six were thrown aside as several more of Rex's machines stabbed at them, hitting their chests and sending them skidding along the floor. Six grunted and sat up, pushing himself to stand and leaning down toward Holiday. He reached his hand out, grasping her own and hauling her up as Rex sat up in the bed again. Six's eyes locked with Rex's, the pale blue glow reflecting of his glasses as Rex swung his legs over the bed.

"Do not interfere." Rex said, narrowing his eyes. His voice was strange, as if it were a collection of voices instead of the fiery teen's, making the new, deep sound echo. Six's brow furrowed and he stepped forward, Holiday pressing against his back. She started to whisper in his ear, telling him to be careful with Rex and that they just needed to get him restrained, but he could hear the waver in her voice.

Something was wrong with this. It was _all_ wrong.

"What are you doing Rex?" Six asked as Rex stood up and stepped away from the bed, his steps shaky and uneven. Rex ignored him in favor of regaining his balance, holding his hands out and steadying himself on one of the machines around him. He glanced at Holiday and Six before pushing himself forward, using the machine to add momentum and gain distance. Rex stumbled into another machine and just barely managed to grasp it, his fingers sliding along the smooth surface until he could grip an edge. His head snapped toward Six when the man took a step toward him and Rex shook his head.

"Stay away." The strange sound echoed in the room again and Rex pushed himself off one of the machines and moved to another, slowly and steadily inching himself closer to one of the desks. His glowing blue eyes narrowed at one of the drawers and several tubes shot away from his body. Rex winced, grasping his stomach before locking his gaze back to the desk. The tubes opened one of the drawers and started shuffling with what was inside, pulling out a needles and ripping off the plastic.

"Rex!" Holiday shouted, circling around Six and marching forward, "You need to stop. You don't know what you're doing and I won't just let you administer something to yourself." Holiday stopped, glancing back at Six as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "Will you let me go Six! We can't let him do this!" Holiday glanced back at Rex as he made his way to another set of equipment, this one a tray filled with medicine bottles and chemicals. Her eyes widened as Rex stood beside it, the small tubes from his nanites pulling up bottles and mixing the contents. She pulled as Six again, "Let go! He doesn't know...what if he hurts himself? Six!"

"I don't think it's like that Dr. Holiday." Six said, squeezing her wrist. Holiday shook her head and looked back at Rex, watching as the tubes moved fluidly along the table as the blue glow gave it light. Holiday squinted her eyes as several bottles were placed back on the tray, Rex taking the needles from one of the tubes and inserting it in the liquid. Holiday bit her lip slowly sliding herself out of her coat, pulling away from Six as the coat fell from her shoulders.

"Holiday!" She ignored him, hurrying toward Rex and grabbing him by the arm. She made to glance at the liquid but Rex had already turned to her, shaking his head. The tubes wound themselves around Rex, wrapping around his shoulders and arms, and one of the tubes was wrapped around the needle. It rose to Rex's neck and jabbed the thin metal into the skin, Rex wincing as the tube pushed down. Holiday's heart hammered in her chest as Rex's pale blue glow wavered slightly, lost as Rex closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.

"Rex?" Holiday asked, her voice just above a whisper. She reached toward his face and swiped some of the sweaty black locks form his face, pressing her hand against his hot forehead, "Rex, are you all right?"

Rex blinked, eyes slowly focusing on her as he took several deep breaths. Holiday almost gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as Rex, _her_ Rex, looked back at her. His eyes were aflame again, but there was the mischievous spark that always burned in his eyes. Rex leaned and whispered in her ear, "Sorry about all this Doc...I really...don't know..." Holiday barely the time to register the words before she was doubled over, gasping for breath. She clutched her throbbing stomach, several loose hairs falling in front of her face as Rex pushed himself away from her and toward the door. Holiday blinked at Rex's figure, gasping as her lungs clenched and fought for breath.

"Rex!" Holiday glanced at Six as he started toward her before her eyes went to the floor. She shook her head as she spotted several dark spots on the floor and she dropped to her knees, running her fingers over the warm liquid. Six grabbed her shoulders and started to pull her up, but Holiday concentrated on the warm, almost hot, liquid in her hands. She tilted her hand from side to side, trying to catch it in the light. In the back of her mind, she could feel the whisper of the truth. Deep inside she knew what she was staring at, what it meant, but she had to _see_ it. Had to know she was really staring at it to know.

It was there, in a flash, the smallest light that let her see the barest tint of red. Holiday's heart dropped into her stomach and she inhaled, clenching her blood soaked hand as she turned to Six. "He's bleeding Six. We have to stop him...get him back here so I can treat him-" Six was already gone, hurrying after Rex as the teen made his way unsteadily out of the room.

"Rex!" But he didn't even flinch despite the hard anger in Six's voice, leaning against the door frame before pushing himself into the hallway. Six followed, reaching a hand out to grab him, only to be stopped once more by Rex's machines. The small tubes shot at him, the wind whistling in Six's ears as he dodged each strike, and Rex turned to him. Rex's glowing blue eyes narrowed and he shook his head.

"Do not interfere!"

"Hello!" Both Rex and Six turned their heads, Bobo peeking out from down the hallway, "Figured I'd come see what this whole blackout's about, instead I see the chief all glowy. Great. Knew it had something to do with you kid." Bobo rolled his eye and Rex growled, taking another unsteady step forward. The lights began to flicker above them as the back up generators finally kicked in for the rest of Providence, and Six saw several drops of blood fall from Rex's side. The red screamed at Six as they fell against the white floor, almost painful in the way the color stood out. Bobo's eyes widened and he took a step toward Rex, "Chief-"

"Away! You must...must leave me be. I have to...we have to..." Rex started to slump, breaths shallow and short as he leaned against the wall. Six took several steps toward the Evo but Rex managed to growl, a shade of metal forming over his arm. It was nowhere near the power it would normally have, only acting as a small shell around Rex's arm, but it was enough to show Six that Rex was more than willing to go down fighting. "I must do this! Will none of you understand this!"

"Do what Rex?" Holiday said, stepping out of the room herself now. Six raised an eyebrow at her when she snapped a communicator shut, but her eyes remained trained on Rex, "What do you need to do?"

"Will you assist me?" Rex asked, his voice, the strange echo still there, wavering slightly, "Will you?"

Holiday managed to smile at him, but her eyes had darkened, her brow creased with worry, "You're not giving us much choice here Rex. We'll help you if we can, so long as you rest. Maybe tell us what you injected yourself with." Rex studied Holiday, occasionally glancing at Six and Bobo through his strange blue eyes. The blood still dripped from Rex's sides, leaving faded red trails along the walls. Holiday moved closer to Rex, watching as the teen flinched but did not attack her, "You don't have long Rex. The other Providence soldiers will come soon, and then no one will be able to help you."

Rex's eyes widened and he nodded, eyes fluttering closed before he nodded, "I require transport capable of taking me to the location known as Abyssus."

"Abyssus? What do you need there?"

Rex breathed trough his nose, forcing his eyes open and shifting his gaze to Six, "Rex...we...I...am falling apart. We are...unable to neutralize the problem with the current equipment. But at Abyssus-there we may just-"

"What makes you say that?" Holiday asked, taking Rex by the shoulder and making him lean against her. She locked stares with Six and the green clad man nodded, joining Rex on his other side and slinging Rex's arm around his shoulder.

"We are not sure. All we know is that the key rests in Abyssus. It waits for us...calls for us." Rex mumbled, eyes fluttering closed again. He started to lean more and more on Doctor Holiday, his breathing still shallow. "This entity, this invader, it has damaged the host. We do not know if we can repair it. That medicine...was meant to stave it off for now. Make the advancement...slow down at least..."

Holiday nodded, glancing at Six as she readjusted Rex in her hands. Bobo watched the three of them as he trailed behind, his eye sometimes straying to the blood that was trailing at Rex's side, before immediately snapping back. Rex's eyes opened and he swallowed, blinking as Six and Holiday led him back to the room.

"No. I-We require a means of transport, not to be taken back into this-"

"You won't last long if you're bleeding all over the place. Just let the Doctor fix you up Rex, then you can go." Six said, glancing at Holiday. She smiled at him, although it was a tired one, and the two led Rex back into the room. Holiday sat him back down on the bed and started to wrap him up in fresh bandages, sterilizing the mysterious cuts and bruises before each roll of white.

"These wounds...are another symptom. There is no time to dawdle on this." Yet for all of Rex's talk, he was leaning heavily on Holiday every time she was near him. As his forehead touched her skin, she almost tsked at the heat, brushing away some of the locks of black hair that had fallen over his face. "Soon...soon we must-"

"It must be part of the nanites' programming." Holiday muttered. She glanced at Bobo and nodded to the other room where the observation pane was set. "Bobo, go get Rex's shirt and jacket for me. We need to get going." Bobo opened his mouth to say something, but slowly closed it as he glanced at Rex. The teen's eyes were still aglow, but the light was dimmed as he fought to keep his eyes from drooping closed. Bobo shook his head and disappeared into the room, leaving Six and Holiday alone with Rex.

"The nanites are following a protocol. They're trying to fix whatever's wrong with Rex, but it can only be done by going back to Abyssus. Which means it's highly likely to have something to do with the Event." Holiday glanced at Six, her eyes narrowed, "The longer this goes on, the more questions keep piling up."

"But will it work?" Six asked as Bobo returned, Rex's clothes in hand.

Holiday took the clothes from Bobo and supported Rex just behind his back, slipping the shirt over the teen's head, "I'm hoping it will. I don't understand Rex's nanites completely, but I think it's safe to say that as the most stable batch in existence, it will. The only problem with that is..." Holiday trailed off, looking back at Rex. The teen blinked at her, hand resting on his sides, before he stood up. Holiday caught him as he stumbled, holding him up by the arm, but Rex was quick to pull away. Holiday's chest tightened at the action, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as Rex stood up as straight as he could.

"Now can we-"

"Yes Rex." Six said, cutting across him. He took several strides across the room and clasped Rex on the shoulder, leading him out of the room while supporting him from behind, "We can go now."

* * *

Noah snapped his phone shut and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose before letting out a groan. "is there _ever_ a time when Rex isn't in some kind of trouble?" Noah mumbled to himself. The blond stood still and silent for a few moments before shaking his head, grabbing his backpack and shoving it onto the bed. "Of course not. It wouldn't be Rex otherwise." Noah almost snorted, but it did nothing to cover up the strange twisting in his gut. _Holiday sounded weird on the phone, like she was trying to catch her breath or something. And she wasn't all that specific about what happened to Rex. Just that they'd be there soon..._

_My mom's gonna kill me._

Noah sighed and started to throw a few shirts and jeans in his bag, unaware of how long he'd be away. He grabbed a bag of potato chips, his toothbrush, and his cell, throwing them into the bag before zipping it closed. "Doubt that'll be enough." Noah said, slinging the blue bag over his shoulder and heading down the stairs. He started to creep down the last few steps as he caught sight of his mother in the living room, her blonde hair in a loose ponytail hanging down the back. Noah sucked in a breath and pressed himself against the wall as he reached the bottom of the stairs, tip-toeing across the floor. He inched closer and closer to the front door, sweat beading at his temples, a single drop sliding down his head. His chest swelled as he fought to hold his breath, knowing the slightest movement could alert his mother if he wasn't careful-

Until the loud whirr of a helicopter threw his brilliant sneaking out plan out the window.

"What is that!" His mother shouted over the roar of the helicopter, the blades sending a deafening and almost booming whirr over the house. Noah's gasp went unheard as his mother turned to him, her blue eyes narrowing. "And just what do you think you're doing? You just got home Noah, I'm not letting you-" Noah shook his head and mumbled out a "sorry" before rushing for the door, flinging it open only to have the door catch on the wind. It slammed against his house, several splinters flying from the wood, but Noah paid it no mind as he made a mad dash away from the house.

He nearly tripped as he pushed himself away, hearing the loud, shrill call of his mother's voice even over the din of the helicopter. Noah nearly tripped again, the gusts from the helicopter's blades nearly knocking him off his feet, and no amount of ducking made his head feel safe from the razor sharp saws. Noah sprinted toward what he knew was the door to the white and black Providence helicopter, reaching out and grasping the hand that he found. He glanced back at his house as his mother ran out side, her face a nice bright red even from a distance.

Noah swallowed as he was pulled aboard, running a hand through his hair as the doors closed behind him, but blinked as he noticed a strange glow in the room. Noah titled his head to the side and followed the trail toward the light, only for his mouth to fall open when he saw Rex. The dark haired Evo was leaning against the his seat, his pale, glowing blue eyes glued to the floor. Rex was slightly slumped over, his breathing heavy and slow, and Noah's eyes narrowed when he noticed Rex favoring his right side.

"Um...what's wrong with Rex?" Noah asked, looking at Six and Holiday. Holiday and Bobo didn't glance back at him, too focused on piloting the small airship, and Six only raised an eyebrow. "Right, bad question. No one ever knows what's wrong with Rex." Noah said, rolling his eyes.

"Rex was...acting strange after you left." Holiday said, "He had some complications, and before we knew it, there was a black out at providence. He woke up like this and demanding us to leave him alone." Holiday's hands tightened around the flight controls, "We cut a deal with him instead."

"Deal?" Noah asked, looking over at Rex, "But-"

"He was trying to leave with injuries and a burning fever, I wasn't exactly going to let him." Holiday snapped. Noah nodded, taking a step backward from the stressed doctor.

"But what's he trying to do?"

It was Six who answered this time, his voice firm yet...there was something off in his tone, "There may be a way to fix. Rex's nanites are...directing him to Abyssus. What he'll do once we get there though..."

Noah blinked, then blinked again before his head whipped toward Rex, his neck cracking. Noah winced, his eyes watering slightly, but he kept his eyes on Rex, "Are you serious? That death trap? Of all the places in the world, _that_ death trap?"

"It's not as if Van Kleiss is there anymore." Bobo said from the front, snorting a little.

Noah glared at the cockpit but his eyes swiveled back to Rex when the teen moved, his head lolling slightly. Rex's eyes dimmed even more, his eyes almost a dark, opaque blue rather than the bright glow from before. He narrowed his eyes at Noah, but it almost seemed as if he were trying to focus on the blond than glare at him. Rex's head almost dropped toward his chest and when he spoke, his voice was a low and strangely echoing rasp, "We must go there...we must. It is the only way...the only way to restore what we've lost. The host...the host is..." Noah winced when Rex let out a strangled cough, and the blond threw his hands into the air.

"Don't think too much about it. I mean, it's not like I was really complaining." Noah jammed his thumb behind him, jostling the bag he had slung over his shoulder, "Just wish I could have brought my death trap survival kit is all." Noah smiled at Rex as the teen's eyes slowly drifted closed, and then let the smile fall once he was sure Rex was asleep. His blue eyes darkened and he glared at the floor, hands clenched into fists at his sides. Noah's throat went dry, his throat searing at the very thought of speaking again. All the questions that had been buzzing in his head moments ago vanished as he looked at his friend slumped over in his chair. Noah's stomach was painfully tight and he almost looked away as he spotted the dark stains on Rex's pants.

Slowly and silently, Noah took a seat near Rex and buckled himself down, glancing at Agent Six, Holiday, and Bobo in the front. Then his eyes snapped to the floor, his bangs falling over his eyes.

"To Abyssus then?" Noah asked, his forced humor gone, replaced by a tone of indifference.

"You should always be prepared to enter a death trap when you hang around Providence."

Noah almost smirked, convinced that quite possibly, one of the deadliest men in the world had just tried to make him feel better with a joke. A joking Six and a silent Rex told Noah three things.

The world was indeed ending.

He was not prepared for the death trap they were walking into.

And no amount of witty, snarky banter could make him feel better.

So the ride continued in silence.


	8. Save Yourself From Hell

**Another chapter has come! I hope it is all right, I tried to find all of the mistakes but I always fear I miss some. I hope you all enjoy it, and I will respond to reviews when I can. Thank you all so much for the support! **

* * *

_Liberate te ex inferis._

_

* * *

_

"We're approaching Abyssus." Holiday said, her eyes narrowing as she studied the small screen in front of her. She briefly glanced at Rex before she let go of the controls, flicking one of the switches to autopilot before unbuckling herself from her seat. Bobo glanced at her as she made her way to the back, eyes zeroing in on her guns as she adjusted them at her waist.

"Well...that's great and all." Noah said, lifting the buckle from himself. The metal strap slowly shifted above him, coming to rest behind Noah as the blond stood. He wobbled slightly as he adjusted to the moving ship before glancing at Rex, "But does he even know what he's going to do once he gets there?"

Holiday closed her eyes, letting out a small sigh, "I think he'll know." Holiday looked back at Rex, watching as the teen began to stir, "The nanites seem to be running a program. Even if they don't know what it is, it seems to be leading them to a solution for this whole mess. They don't have to understand it to follow through." Holiday grew quieter as she mused to herself, "But that brings up the question of how they even know about the program in the first place. Besides...the nanites treat Rex as a host, so does that mean that Rex could command other nanites if they were in their more complete form? Or is it only because the nanites are inside of him? And what will this program do-"

"Doctor Holiday?" Six said, raising an eyebrow. Holiday jumped and brought a hand to her mouth, face turning a light shade of pink.

"Sorry about that. It's just..." Holiday trailed off, losing herself in her thoughts again. There were so many questions when it came to Rex, each one leading them a step closer to maybe, _maybe_, finding some answers. Holiday glanced at Rex and took as step toward him, but stopped when the controls at the front began to blare, filling the small space with the loud, shrill noise. "Bobo!"

Bobo whipped around in his seat, rolling his eye, "Looks like Abyssus wasn't all that empty." Bobo said as Holiday rushed back to her seat, vaulting herself over the arm of the seat and landing with a soft thud. Holiday scanned the monitors as Bobo started to flip the dials, the ship shifting with each motion.

"It may be some remnants of the Pack…" Holiday said, pressing a bright blue button, "But we won't know until we see-" She was cut off as the ship rocked, Noah letting out a small shout as the ship jerked them back and forth. Bobo muttered under his breath and lifted the controls, sending them higher into the air.

"Or until they start shooting as us." Bobo said, glancing at the screen as the image finally showed. The image flickered black for a moment before solidifying and the great, green Skalamander came to life. The crystal armed lizard raised his hulking arm again, green shards of crystal shooting out as Biowulf sprang up from behind him. Holiday gritted her teeth as they were jostled, several more alarms joining the increasing chaos.

"We need to fly higher or land." Six shouted, already slipping his blades out of his suit, "Otherwise they'll shoot us down before we can make the choice."

"Higher then…" Holiday said, leaning over and flipping several switches, "We need to put some distance between us and them or else we'll just-"

"Guys!" Six and Holiday turned to Noah as the blond continued to shout, holding down Rex as teen tried to move away from his seat. "I need some help here!" Noah said, grunting when Rex hit him in the chest. Noah stumbled back, hitting the metal wall and sliding down, breathing through his mouth as he tried to catch his breath. Six was on Rex in a second, grabbing him by his shoulders and trying to wrestle Rex back to his seat. Rex growled and shoved the agent, his weak struggles leaving him winded as sweat beaded at his temple. Rex gritted his teeth and shoved himself away, stumbling back and hitting the wall himself. His hand scrambled to find a hold but met only smooth metal, and Rex was falling over before he could stop himself. Six rushed at Rex, grabbing him by the arm and slinging it over his shoulder as he eased Rex to the floor.

"Easy Rex." Six said, the tiniest slivers of concern managing to sneak their way into his voice. Rex moaned and tried to pull away from Six, his dull blue eyes looking pleadingly at the agent.

"We cannot…cannot dawdle here! We must get down there…fulfill the protocol. The host…the host…" Rex shook his head and groaned, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

"We'll get you down there Rex." Noah said. Six glanced at him, raising an eyebrow, but said nothing. Instead Six leaned away from Rex and allowed Noah to scoot closer, the blond wearing a weary smile. It looked off, almost crooked on Noah's face, but the blond hid with forced enthusiasm in his voice. "But you know, none of us will be getting anywhere if we're killed before we even touch the ground. So just…be patient. Kay?" Six's eyes narrowed as Noah finished, the blond looking away from both Rex and him. There was a slight waver in his voice, the barest beginnings of uncertainty. And as much as Six could relate with Noah, Rex's fate growing more uncertain the closer they got to Abyssus, the agent did not have time for hesitation.

It seemed Rex didn't either.

"No! You don't…understand-" Rex cried out, flecks of blood flying from his mouth as the airship was jostled again. Rex was bounced on the floor, but he gritted his teeth and curled into a ball, allowing himself to slide away from Agent Six and Noah. Rex pressed his hand against the walls of the ship and closed his eyes, the thrum of his nanites making his head rattle as blue, vein-like lines crisscrossed on his arm. For a moment it felt as if he were wading through water, a sea of nanites assaulting him and voices he had never heard before ringing like bells in his ears. The pain in his chest swelled, a balloon fit to pop, and he cried out again as he forced the pain away and down into the nanites he was surrounded by.

_No time for talking...just open the door!_

The nanites thrummed again, shot up like needles trying to break free from his body, the skin almost lifting. Yet somehow, miraculously, the nanites listened and the door began to slide open. The whoosh of air took what little breath Rex had from his lungs and the wind roared in his ears, drowning out the other voices. There was no Agent Six or Noah, no Holiday or Bobo, and for one blissful moment, no strange dismembered voices. Only _Rex_. And Rex knew he needed to get off the ship _now. _

_You listen up nanites, I'm the one running this show. _Rex was practically screaming at himself, his own voice almost grating his ears. But he kept going, refusing to relinquish his brief clarity into what was going on. The haze was gone, the voices had died, and he was going to be the one to decide what to do. _We need to get down there right? Well, we need to get past ugly and uglier down there. Which means either I let _you_ go down there and get your cans kicked. Or _I_ go down there and actually show 'em whose boss. _

Rex shuddered and gripped the edge of the open ship, swinging himself over before Agent Six could reach him. Rex could almost hear the agent behind him demanding for a hoverboard or for Holiday to land, but the deep voice was soon lost to the air currents. Rex squinted his eyes but did not dare to reach for his goggles yet. He wouldn't until he was sure he could do this without any interference.

From anything.

Rex's hair flew back as he swiveled and glided, arms splaying out as he twisted in the air, his jacket flapping wildly behind him. His sides and stomach were beginning to sting with renewed vigor, the bandages starting to peel under the constant pressure from the wind, and Rex thought he could feel something warm licking his sides. Below him he could just make out the shapes of Skalamander and Biowulf, one hulking and the other small but dangerous looking, and could just see the sharp reflective edge of Skalamander's green crystals. _Well? _Rex demanded, narrowing his eyes into slits, _What's it gonna be?_

"_But the host-"_

_You think I'll survive if we wind up down there and I have to fight them? With _you_ in control?_

"_The sub-routines...protocol! We know how to handle them, the programming-"_

_Just isn't the same as me._ Rex closed his eyes and waited for a response, but all he got was fuzzy, crackling static. He almost smirked as he snapped his eyes open, slamming his fists together even as his muscles screamed at the action. He felt pain jolt from his hands and up his arms before the pain rested in his head, rattling his brain in its cage before settling into nothing. His breath blew from his lungs as his machines coated his arms, sheets of gray metal to large, orange machines. Rex panted as he lifted one of his slam hands, shielding himself from a rain of jagged, green crystals before throwing his other fist back and slamming it toward the ground.

Rock cracked underneath the pressure, bursting from the earth in chunks and leaving Rex disoriented as a shockwave thrummed through him. Rex shook his head as a wave a nausea hit him, the world spinning in fast, blurring circles before his eyes managed to focus on Biowulf. Rex gasped as one of the crazed wolf's claws slashed at his face and he leaned back to avoid the strike, the wind whistling in his ears. Rex stumbled back and fell to the ground, rolling over the dirt as Biowulf slashed at him again. Biowulf's claws dug into the earth but Rex hissed as his arm stung, a crystal landing dangerously close to his head. Rex cupped his now bleeding upper arm and pushed himself up, glaring at Skalamander as he called more of his machines. He groaned as a sword formed over his right arm and he sank under the weight, the blade pressing on him as if it weighed tons.

Rex clenched his jaw and charged at Skalamander, barely managing to keep his sword raised to block the green lizard's attacks. His arms shook as he lifted his blade to strike, only to hit air as the lumbering lizard dodged his strike with a simple sidestep. Rex's sword struck the ground, digging deep into the crust before dissolving into scrap, and Rex gasped to catch his breath. His eyes widened as more crystals came flying at him, Biowulf closing in from behind, and Rex shook his head as his jet pack sprouted from his back. He pushed himself from the ground as the blades in each large circle began to spin, propelling him away from both attackers. Skalamander was already aiming at him, the drooling lizard releasing several shots. Rex swore under his breath and tried to move himself away, yet several quartz like bullets managed to slice his arms, Rex only managing to avoid the most deadly of the missile like crystals.

_I can barely hold my own... _But even that was a lie. Rex knew, painfully so, that he was far from holding his own. Unless holding his own meant he hadn't died yet.

Then yeah, he was holding his own.

_But not for long!_ Rex jerked his head back as more claws came flying at him and more crystals shot at him from behind. He grunted and hissed as the crystals sliced at him, smaller ones digging into his legs and leaving trails of blood on his torn pants and skin. _I'm slowing down...I'm slowing down! _Rex clenched his teeth as his machines gave a rough jerk, careening him off his path and nearly sending him to the ground. Rex flew lower to the ground as his machines began to fall apart, small bits of metal tumbling away as he got closer to the dirt. He stumbled as he landed, the machines finally breaking apart completely, and he skidded to his knees. Rex's head snapped up as he heard rough scratching, only to duck as the wind whistled by his ears again. Rex fell onto his back, hissing as his battered body connected with the rough ground, and closed his eyes to fight back the pain.

He tried to open his eyes or lift his arms, but all his muscles did was throb and hurt, like he was being peeled away from his own body, and he could feel pressure on his chest. The air was heavy and thick, and Rex could practically feel Biowulf breathing against him. He tensed, body strung out like a bow, but a rush of air made Rex open his eyes.

"Wha-"

Biowulf was flying off him, soaring through the air before landing in a giant heap on the ground. Rex blinked, trying to push himself up, and the static that had been so silent before returned full force. The noise hit his head in waves, crashing against his brain as it throbbed from the abuse. Rex shook his head and his vision became a swirl of dark colors, the trees mixing with the dark red sky and a strange green figure-

_Green?_

"Rex!" Rex winced at the sound, trying to lean away, but he was stopped as strong, warm hands gripped his shoulders and forced him forward. "Holiday, will you take a look at him?" Rex clenched his eyes tighter and tried to pull away again, but sighed in relief as soothing hands cupped his face. He leaned into the touch, shivering as he realized how _hot_ he was and how cool the hands were.

"Rex? Rex, can you open your eyes for me?" Rex almost smiled at the voice, clenching his eyes once more before forcing them to open. _Anything for you._ Rex blinked his eyes open, squinting as the world came back into focus, and soon he was gazing at Holiday, her green eyes wide with concern. "Good, now just sit still for a second while I look you over." Rex said nothing as she started to feel around his face and neck, her cool hands almost feeling like a blaze wherever they touched his skin. It almost hurt, yet the coolness of her hands was too much for his too hot body. He winced when her hands pressed against his sides and stomach, feeling an unpleasant lurch in his gut as the world spun again.

Rex tried to fight through the fog of his mind, grabbing onto the pain and letting it yank him forward. "I-I'm all right Doc. Really. Just had to show them who's boss."

Holiday tsked and shook her head, "Rex you should have waited. There's no telling what you've done to yourself now. I know you want to-"

"I had to." Rex said, wincing as he forced himself up. Holiday grabbed his arm and helped to hoist him up, her hands hovering nearby as he wobbled on his legs, "I had to do it. This place is just…" Rex stopped, breathing hard through his nose before speaking again, "I need to get there soon Doc. I couldn't wait for you guys to work around Biowulf and Skalamander."

"That doesn't mean you have to charge right it in and get yourself killed." Holiday said, shaking her head. Rex smiled at her and winked, holding back another wince as pain flared through his body. His head whipped around as he heard shots and shouting before he glanced at Holiday for an explanation. "Well, we couldn't exactly let you go down here alone now could we?" Holiday asked. She smiled at Rex's worried look, "Don't worry, they'll be fine. Six is with them after all. Noah seemed distraught when you just jumped out like that though…"

"Noah's always _distraught_ over something." Rex said, but his eyes trailed over to the sounds of battle, and he glared when he heard one scream that sounded just a little too familiar. Holiday smiled again before squeezing Rex and making him lean against her, keeping one hand loose enough to reach for her gun if the need would arise. They made slow progress toward the noise, Rex's steps uneven as he quickly found himself out of breath, and by the time they reached Six and the others, Skalamander and Biowulf nowhere to be seen.

Six straightened himself out, replacing his blades back into his jacket, and glanced at Holiday and Rex as they approached. Rex studied the field, eyes zeroing in on Noah and Bobo as the later helped the blond to stand. Rex's stomach tightened as he watched Noah wobble for a moment, but then the teen stood straight and smiled, smoothing out his hair and pressing a hand to his forehead. Rex jerked in Holiday's grip, wanting to go and see Noah and Bobo, but the doctor held him fast as Six came to inspect him.

"You all right?" The agent asked.

Rex flashed Six a look of surprise, his eyebrows disappearing into his bangs, "Um…yeah, I guess. As good as I can be." Rex looked around again, waiting for Biowulf or Skalamander to come charging out of nowhere. Six watched as Rex surveyed the area before he cleared his throat.

"We drove them away from now but they'll be back. We shouldn't waste time here." Six turned away but Rex pushed himself forward, nudging Holiday to let him go.

"But why were they here in the first place? I mean…"

"Van Kleiss wouldn't have left this place unguarded. Now come on Rex. You jumped out of the ship to get here, no time to slow down." Rex bristled at the comment but said nothing as Holiday began to lead him forward again. Noah and Bobo came running up to them, both looking tired and slumped but none the worse for wear. Noah fell into step beside Rex and Holiday, glancing liver Rex before snapping his attention ahead of him. Rex raised an eyebrow at Noah but said nothing as the blond chewed his lip, refusing to look Rex in the eye. Bobo shrugged at him, mumbling the he was going to die if Rex kept up with those stupid plans of his, but Rex just smirked at him.

Yet Noah remained silent.

Rex shook his head and finally looked ahead, taking a deep breath as his legs flared, his knees quaking as he walked. A crumbling building stood before them, looming over Abyssus and challenging the red sky it stood beneath. The stone was rough and jagged, sticking out at odd ends with giant holes in the walls, gaping maws that offered a look into the almost endless darkness within. Strange and deformed plants circled the area, the gnarled roots and vines climbing up the walls and branches encroaching on the windows and broken walls.

The air was almost still as they approached, the building almost a wall in itself as it stood against them. Rex's heart jumped to his throat and hammered against it, almost making his choke and cough as the building stared at him. His blood rose, as if it would be siphoned from his body and whisked into the building. His body itched and his arm started to shake, and before he knew it, he was pushing himself away from Holiday.

"Rex!" She called, grabbing his arm as he stumbled, "I know you're eager but-" Her voice disappeared into the ocean of white noise, the fog gripping his mind again as he stared into the building as it was enshrouded by mist. He was alone then, wading through the thick, gray cover and trying to find the entrance. His body hummed as he got closer, or thought he got closer, to the building. He ached to get inside, to find the room that called him, told him that he needed to be fixed and _soon_.

But he needed to get out of the fog first or he'd never find a way there. He had to…He had to! But something was grabbing him and yanking him backward, away from the building, away from his cure! He knew what he wanted rested there, he could almost hear the words be whispered to the nanites as their own buzz of excitement thrummed through his body. But the force was resilient even as he shrugged it off, and he threw his hands out in a desperate attempt to just _touch_ what was there. Voices were coming, loud and insistent, and Rex couldn't seem to shake them off. He wanted to disappear beneath the noise again, the constant, soothing static that kept his mind at ease as he tried to find his way through the mist.

"Rex!" Rex grunted as his jaw throbbed, feeling a mass of pain bloom on his cheek as the world forced itself back into view. The mist was gone as quickly as it had come, the static a distant and quieting crackle. Rex blinked as a mess of blond hair reared up, then a hand reached down toward him. Rex reached for it without thinking and was yanked up by the hand, Rex's own legs stumbling as he regained his footing.

"What was up with that?" Noah asked, raising eyebrow at him. But there was something else in his face, the way Noah's blue eyes had darkened. Rex felt the look burn itself into his memory like he building had, and the task before him seemed to take on a whole new weight. He could feel it crashing into his body, a drill in his back that dug in the longer it was there. _Ugh…all I want to do is _sleep_._

"Rex?" Rex blinked as fingers snapped in front of his face. Rex looked toward the ground as his body set itself aflame, and he could feel their eyes boring into him, studying him, and he wanted to get_ away_. "Hey…" Noah trailed off, looking away from Rex, "Don't-Don't worry about it so much. Let's just get going." Rex nodded, chewing his cheeks before forcing a smile onto his face.

"Race you there then?" Rex said, raising an eyebrow as at Noah. Agent Six came up beside Rex and was already slinging Rex's arm around his shoulder. Rex could practically hear the eyeroll and he only snickered harder.

Noah glanced back at him and snorted, "Like you could. In case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly fit at the moment. If I could run circles around you before, I can sure do it now."

"Are you kidding me? I have the green, agro ninja on my side. You can't do anything." Rex grinned as he glanced at Six, eyes flashing, "He's just cut off your legs."

Noah paled at this, throwing Six an uneasy look before hurrying his steps, "Like he would." Noah mumbled to himself, although there was a drop of uncertainty in his voice. Holiday put a hand to her mouth, a small smile forming, and Bobo rolled his eye, but it was all snuffed out when they finally reached the entrance of the building. Rex tilted his head up to get a better look, leaning against Six to keep his balance, but his eyes met only stone.

He took a deep breath as Six began to lead them inside, but the darkness Rex had pictured as he looked into the holes of the walls was nowhere to be seen. Instead it was under the same red sky as it had always been, the holes letting in more light than there should have been for a building so old and abused. The plants had wound their way inside the crumbling building, climbing and winding around the walls, ominous flowers blooming on the ground as their roots inched closer to other plants. Around them were old and dirty or broken pieces of tables, coated in dust and spiders.

"Well, this look pleasant. I'd like to move in today, if possible." Rex said, grinning when he heard Bobo snort. The laughter made his chest throbbed and Rex stopped, hand pressing against his chest as his heart fluttered inside. Rex stilled as the sensation didn't go away, the drumming of his heart growing louder and louder in his ears until he was sure the others could hear it to. The constant pounding, _Bum, bum, bum, bum-_

"_Turn." _

"Rex, what is it?" Rex ignored Holiday as he looked around, eyes narrowing on a small corner to the right of the room. Rex shuddered as he stared into it, the small niche hidden well in the dark shadows. Rex started to walk toward it, ignoring the calls of the others as he increased his pace, and even tried to shrug off Agent Six's hand when the man caught him by the shoulder.

"Listen to Doctor Holiday Rex-"

"It's there." Rex said, trying to shrug Six off when the man increased his grip, "Whatever I'm supposed to do is there!" Rex whipped around, grinding his teeth together, "Six, I don't know why, but whatever is going on is telling me to go there-"

"Rex?" Rex stopped, mouth dropping open at the smooth, feminine voice. He turned, eyes wide and questioning, even as his heart continued to thrum in his chest. He could feel his legs lock in place and his vision swayed for a moment, but he forced himself to look ahead.

Only one word managed to escape him, "Circe?"


	9. I'll Either Find a Way or Make One

**So...I realize this is very late. I apologize, I allowed the holidays to get the better of me. But an update now is better than an update never right? No? Um...**

**Well, I tried to make this chapter nice and interesting, while still keeping you wondering what will happen next. Hopefully there won't be such a bad delay next time. I'm sorry! Reviews I shall respond to later. Thank you all for your patience. **

**I'd also like to mention how I liked some of the rage at Circe's appearance. I must admit, it was a little funny.**

* * *

_Aut viam inveniam aut faciam _

* * *

"Rex?" Circe emerged from the shadows, red eyes wide in surprise. Her hand rested on her other arm and she took a small step back, shaking her head. She pulled on her bandaged arms, eyes roving the ground, but then her face hardened and she looked at Rex again, "What are you doing here?"

Rex blinked before his eyes narrowed and he stepped farther away from Agent Six, stumbling slightly as his legs wobbled. "None of your business." Rex ignored the calls of the others as he took another step forward, eyes going between Circe and the small corner she blocked.

"I think it is Rex." Circe said, glaring at him, "Just tell me what you're doing here. We don't have to fight."

"Yeah, that's why ugly and uglier tried to kill us back there!" Rex choked as he shouted and grabbed his chest, knees buckling and slamming onto the ground. Six was by his side in an instant, grabbing Rex from under the arms and hoisting him back up, even as Rex tried to pull away. Circe's eyes widened as several red drops fell from underneath Rex's shirt. She shook her head, eyes quivering.

"Rex, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I don't even know where to start with what's wrong. The list is so freaking long right now and-"

"You're bleeding." Six said, stopping Rex before he could begin his tirade. Six's voice was hard and he tightened his grip on Rex, ignoring the small cry, "I didn't notice." Six said to himself, his brow furrowing.

"It's no big deal." Rex said, even as his body started to shake, "It's been off and on since we got here, I just ignored it." Rex stopped for a moment, shaking his head as the world began to spin, the red sky mixing with the light brown of the building and the many shades of green plant life. The bizarre mesh of color made his stomach flip and he gagged, the bile shooting up his throat before he sealed his mouth shut. He clenched his eyes shut and winced as he swallowed, the corrosive liquid burning down his throat. Six kept his grip, riding the wave of nausea with him.

"I'll…be fine…" Rex paused again, wondering why he was even closer to the ground then before. His arms felt as if they were being strung up on a clothesline, while the rest of his body sunk beneath his weight. "Just…let go…that hurts…" Rex mumbled, head waving from side to side.

"Rex! Rex! Holiday, I need you to look at him!" Six shouted, lowering the boy to the ground. Holiday was already skidding next to them, placing a hand on Rex's burning forehead and swearing under her breath. She brushed his bangs away from his face and started to pull several vials from her pocket. Noah was hovering over them, blue eyes wide as incoherent questions started to fly from his mouth. Bobo was glaring at Six, waiting for some kind of reaction, but the agent kept his eyes on Rex. Circe watched from afar, feet inching closer and closer to the group. She would catch herself, stumbling over her feet when she realized what way she was going, but start again when her eyes looked back at Rex.

"What's going on with him?" Six asked, supporting Rex as the teen continued to drift closer to the ground. Rex coughed, the sound harsh and rattling, a small trail of blood dribbling down his chin, and Six's chest tightened. He pulled Rex closer to him, allowing the teen to lean on him as Holiday started her inspection.

"Whatever he injected himself at Providence is wearing off." Holiday said shortly, forcing Rex's closing eyes open with her fingers. She slipped a flashlight out of her belt's many containers and pointed the light into his eyes before humming to herself and pulling out another two vials. She set them on the ground with small clinks and pulled out a dropper and a test tube, all from a small metal container attached to her belt. She started to mix several of the clear chemicals into the test tube, swishing the liquid around. All eyes were on her as she worked, but she paid them no mind. Her eyes were glued to the contents of the vial and eventually Rex.

"Tilt his head up." she said, waiting until Six had the Rex's head in his hands, holding his chin up so that Rex was level with Holiday. "This should work. I took them from the table Rex had used earlier, but I could only get some small samples. And I'm not one hundred percent certain I mixed them correctly." She pressed the vial to Rex's lips and tipped the test tube up, watching the liquid as it poured into his mouth before setting it down and grabbing Rex's face with her hands. Six let go of Rex's face and watched as Holiday snapped Rex's mouth shut, muttering a sorry under her breath before pressing her hand over his mouth and nose. Rex struggled underneath her grasp, hands clawing weakly near her hand for a moment, but finally he swallowed. Holiday released him, Six catching him before he could fall over, and Rex took several gasps of air.

"Thanks Doc." Rex managed to gasp, "I always love being nearly suffocated. Now my trip's complete!" Holiday rolled her eyes, but felt relieved that Rex had bantered at all.

"You all right Rex?" Noah asked, kneeling next to Rex. Rex rolled his eyes and snorted, trying to worm his way out of Six's grasp even as the man tightened his grip.

"Oh yeah, I'm just peachy. Let me tell you Noah, I feel like a million bucks. All this nausea and the Pack trying to kill me. We should come here all the time."

Noah rolled his eyes and stood up, "Point taken." Noah's eyes darkened and he looked back at Rex, frown deepening, "Just be more careful." he said, unable to keep the seriousness out of his voice.

"I'll try." Rex said, inhaling when Six lifted him up, "Sort of hard though, with everything trying to kill you." His legs wobbled, even with his arm draped over Six's shoulder, and he closed his eyes as the room began to swirl.

"Rex?" Circe took another step forward, eyes widening when she realized how close she was. She was only a few feet away from them, but Holiday, Six, Bobo, and Noah all stared at her, as if daring her to take another step. Circe swallowed, bringing her hand to her chest, and she glanced around the room. Her face hardened and she looked back at them, her eyes locking with Rex's own glazed ones. "Why are you here?"

"None of your business." Noah said, stepping in front of Rex to block Circe's view. Circe growled, narrowing her eyes while fidgeting with her hands.

"I might be able to help him! But I can't unless I know what's going on!" she shouted.

"I don't think we really need your kind of help." Noah said, shaking his head. Circe's chest swelled and she opened her mouth to argue further, but Holiday stepped between them. She held out both her hands, each palm facing one of the teens, and she cleared her throat.

"We can argue about his later, but Rex needs us _now._" Holiday snapped her attention to Circe, "You can help us?" she asked, her eyes narrowing on the girl. Circe swallowed, her foot twitching with the urge to take a step back, but she stood her ground.

"Maybe. What's he trying to do?"

"We're not sure ourselves. There's something wrong with his nanites, they may be killing him, and he insists that what he needs is here in Abyssus. Or at least that's the quick version." Holiday mumbled to herself, "Do you know anything about this?"

Circe's eyes widened and she shook her head, "No."

"Are you sure? Did Van Kleiss ever mention something like this to you? Even in passing, or did he talk about some machine? Anything at all?" Holiday pressed, taking a step toward Circe.

Circe's eyes widened even further and her eyebrows had disappeared into her dark hair. She brought her thumb to her mouth, biting on the pad as she looked around the room, "No...no he never mentioned something like that. But-I don't know. There might be something-something here. In this room. I saw it once but Van Kleiss said it was-"

"Where is it?" It was Rex this time, the dark haired teen waving his hand at Noah. The blond frowned but nodded, moving out of his vision as Six carried him to the front of the group. "I need to know where it is."

Circe nodded, already turning around and pointing at the very corner that Rex had been pulled to earlier. Even disoriented, an excitement began to pump its way into Rex's body. He held in a gasp even as his body twitched, his blood roared in his ears, and he could have sworn he heard the nanites telling him to hurry, hurry, _hurry._

"There's something back there, so we could try that." Circe said, glancing back at them.

"All right!" Rex said, head swaying as the air left his lungs from his outburst. He tried to grin despite the pain that was starting to pound in his chest. An odd constant tap, over and over, and he wondered when Holiday's medicine would kick in already. "Let's get going. I think we've been at this horror show enough-"

"You won't be going anywhere!" All heads snapped up to the broken ceiling just as several green crystals pelted from above, Biowulf just behind them, his claws outstretched. Rex clenched his eyes shut as he was shoved, falling to the ground with a hard thud. He felt the dirt smear on his face and opened one eye, shutting it almost immediately as the whole world swayed. His stomach lurched, the bile bubbling in his throat again, but Rex could still hear their voices.

"You can't do this Circe! Think of Van Kleiss!" Biowulf screeched, the sound ripping Rex's head open.

"B-But it's not like Van Kleiss said he ever wanted Rex dead! He still needs him doesn't he?" Rex almost rolled his eyes at her words, but he could feel his gratitude toward her surge nonetheless. She wasn't abandoning him to the other two members of the Pack. _That has to mean something...right?_

_I hope so..._

"C'mon, we need to get going." Circe said, whipping toward Rex and hurrying toward the small group. Biowulf and Skalamander charged at them only to be stopped by Agent Six. The man held his katanas high, aimed at Biowulf's and Skalamander's throats, waiting for one of them to move. Holiday pulled out a blaster, flicking one of the triggers to power it up before glancing back at Rex.

"She's right. Get going and we'll be right behind you. Bobo, Noah, keep an eye on Rex." Holiday's eyes traveled to Circe and they all understood the silent command to watch _her_ as well. Circe barely blinked at Holiday's accusation nodded at the doctor before turning to Noah and Bobo, looking at them expectantly. Noah grabbed Rex by his arm, hoisting it over his shoulder and nodding for Circe to do the same. Circe rushed to Rex's other side and lifted, all of them flinching when several blasts fired behind them.

"We can't just leave them!" Rex shouted, tugging at Circe and Noah. Both teens tightened their grip and steered Rex toward the dark corner in the room, ignoring the flash in Rex's eyes. "What are you doing! C'mon, we need to go back and help them!"

"They'll be fine Rex." Noah said, his voice trembling, "The whole reason for us coming here was to get you _there_ wasn't it?" Noah said, tilting his head to the corner. They walked closer and the corner suddenly dropped as it acme into view, revealing an old rusted room filled with machinery. Circe released Rex for a moment and grabbed the rusted metal door, gritting her teeth and sliding it the rest of the way open. Bobo joined her as her feet began to drag on the ground, even as she dug her heels into the earth, and soon the door was open with a loud screech.

"But I don't want them getting killed either!" Rex shouted, still trig to get a look at Six and Holiday. He flinched when several shards of crystal shot into the ground, digging into the earth not far from them.

"This is the Pack Rex." Noah tried, watching as Circe joined Rex's other side and lifted him again. Rex jerked in their grip before letting out a low moan, closing his eyes and slumping slightly. Waves of nausea hit him full force of the musty air of the room hit his nose, and Rex clamped his mouth shut so not to breath it in.

"Rex?" Circe asked, shaking him slightly, "Rex, c'mon, stay awake!" Her eyes were wide as she searched Rex's face, taking in the pale skin and the dark bags under his eyes. She could feel the sweat as it poured out of him and she locked eyes with Noah, silently asking what was wrong.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Noah said, shrugging, "That's why we're here, to try and fix it. But we're going on a hunch." Noah glanced down at Rex as the teen mumbled, glancing back at Six and Holiday as Skalamander was knocked to the ground, making the ground tremble. Noah and Circe pulled on Rex ad lead the way inside, Bobo following behind them. "Well, we're really going on a hunch from Rex's nanites, so I don't know how good that it exactly." Noah watched behind him until the scene behind them disappeared in the shadows, swallowing the fight in the darkness.

"What is this room anyway?" Bobo asked, slowly drawing out a blaster. The walls were thick with dark orange and red looking rust, and machines were nestled in the far corners of the room. Cobwebs hung on each corner and machine, spiders scuttling from view as they approached. Metal catwalks hung above them, broken metal hanging loosely at some edges, while some of the catwalk had worn away completely. Soot was smeared in some edges of the room, particularly the floor, and several gaping holes littered the lower walls and tiled floor. The smell intensified, like damp, rusted metal, and the copper smell was impossible to escape.

"It could use a little renovating." Bobo said, shaking his head before turning to look at them. His eye focused on Rex and he leaned toward him, snapping his fingers in front of his face. Rex's head jerked up and he glared at Bobo, even as his eyes fought to focus on the primate.

"What do you want?" Rex rasped, looking around the room.

"Waiting for you to do your thing Chief." Bobo said, shrugging. Rex looked back at him and blinked, the action slow as his head swayed from side to side. Noah followed Rex's movements, increasing his grip when he felt the teen start to slide out of his arms.

"My thing?" Rex whispered under his breath. Then he blinked and closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. _Right...here..._

Noah growled when Circe released Rex, letting the teen's hands fall loosely to his side. He rounded on her, eyes narrowed, "What are you doing, we have to-"

"Noah...look." Noah blinked and looked back at Rex, the teen still tugging at Noah's grip as he slumped. Noah's eyes widened as Rex glanced back at him, his eyes glowing the same pale blue again. Rex sighed once, his breath still rattling with each intake of air.

"We must...connect with the machine..." Noah's mouth fell open as the strange, echoing voices returned. He nodded, slowly releasing Rex's arm and watching as it dropped to his side. Circe covered her mouth with her hands, watching as Rex slowly straightened himself out, almost losing his step as his feet slipped. Rex's gaze slipped to the machines at the end of the room and his eyes widened, the pale blue glow growing stronger and brighter. Noah, Circe and Bobo squinted their eyes as the room was washed with blue light, illuminating some of the machines.

Noah held a hand above his eyes and looked at the old, off white machines. Some of them were rounded, looking eerily similar to MRI machines at hospitals, and others were simple box shapes, panels covered in buttons that were broken or whose purpose was lost years ago. Metal tubes laid broken on the floor, small shards of the black rubber tubing laying in front of the open mouths. It was a giant mess with machines broken beyond repair, and Noah shook his head.

"Rex? Rex!" Noah called as Rex stepped unsteadily toward the machines, "They're broken, how are you-"

Rex turned to Noah, his eyes still aglow with the pale blue light. His face was withdrawn, mouth forming a tight line, and he did not blink as his eyes bored into Noah. Noah froze, hand outstretched and missing Rex by inches, and Rex shook his head.

"You have to trust us Noah." The echoing voices said, "You have to trust _me._"

Noah's mouth fell open but Rex remained rooted to the spot, gaze locked on Noah, waiting for an answer. Noah shook his head and took a step back, a small smile forming despite his aching chest. He shrugged at Rex, waving his hand at the machines, "Do what you have to do then."

Rex nodded, a minute smile managing to form before Rex turned away from them. "Whatever happens...thank you." Rex mumbled to himself before his eyes strayed to the machines laying in front of him. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, stretching out his arms as he inhaled. Noah took another few steps back, slipping his hand over Circe's arm and pulling her to the back of the room. Her eyes remained on Rex, her pale skin cast in a blue glow as the room flooded with the light, and both she, Bobo, and Noah pressed themselves against the rusty wall.

Rex lifted his hands, spreading his fingers far apart as he fixed a hard, narrowed stare at the broken machines in front of him. "Program seventeen decoded," he muttered, "proceed with operations six through seventeen."

Rex's eyes snapped, becoming impossibly large as his body was encased in the same pale blue glow as his eyes. The air crackled as the energy poured off of him, wave after wave crashing into the air and bouncing on the walls like tides. The machines began to vibrate on the floor, the metal thumping rapidly as the pieces reverberated on the floor, and Rex rose in the air.

"Rex..." Circe mumbled, taking a small step forward only for a small shock of blue to come zipping at her. She threw herself against the wall as small threads of blue flew in front of her, the static making her hair stand on end.

Rex did not flinch as the energy zapped him, small shocks of blue waving off his body as the machines rose from the ground. The larger machines screeched against the floor as they were slowly lifted into the air, the blue energy encircling them as the smaller pieces of machinery flew toward them. The tubes and small fragments of metal inserted themselves where Rex waved them to go, his eyes blank, the motions mechanical. As the machines were swept away, a small metal bed was unearthed. Parts of the metallic resting place were broken away, little holes where they had once been, and like the rest of the room, it was covered in rust. Rex eyed the small bed for a moment as the machines assembled themselves, several large rectangular machines forming in his midst, then took a deep breath and threw his hands out and toward the opposite wall.

The machines hit the wall with a deafening bang, causing Noah, Bobo and Circe to bounce off the wall opposite the machines as the vibrations shook the room. Noah swore as his head slammed against metal, black spots popping into his vision as he slid on the wall. He rubbed his forehead and groaned, blinking his eyes open as he tried to focus back on Rex. Circe shook her head, moaning as her head pounded, but Rex took no heed of the damage he had caused.

"Watch it chief!" Bobo shouted, rubbing his own head, "Believe it or not, I like myself in one piece."

"Get back here!" Noah jumped at Doctor Holiday's voice, eyes snapping to the hidden door as green crystals pierced the metal. Circe jerked up as well, her eyes wide as the door was ripped from its hinges. Skalamander and Biowulf stormed inside, Biowulf leering at Circe before turning to Rex's commotion. Skalamander threw his arm above Circe's head, the jagged crystal aimed for her back, only to jolt as he was shot in the back.

"Holiday!" Noah shouted as the doctor rushed inside, her blaster held at the ready as Skalamander shook his head, still recovering from the previous blast. Agent Six slipped inside, kaftans at the ready as he charged for Biowulf. Biowulf growled at Six and jerked his head toward Rex, raising his claws and jumping for the teen as Rex continued to assemble the machine parts around him. Six shouted as Biowulf flew into the air, throwing his katana at the beast as Biowulf raised his sharp claws.

Rex finally paused, glancing behind him as if he had just noticed the battle being fought behind him. He narrowed his eyes as the katana hit Biowulf in the shoulder, but the Evo kept coming, reaching for Rex's outstretched arm.

"Stay away." Rex mumbled before Biowulf was blasted away in a surge of blue energy, the light blinding as the beast was slammed against the wall. All heads turned to Rex as the teen turned away from them, slowly lowering his arms. His feet planted evenly on the ground and he took several steps forward, still encased in blue light. He laid his hand on the metal slab before him before hoisting himself up and over the bed, resting his head against the cold metal.

Skalamander growled at the relaxed display and aimed his arm at Rex, shooting several crystals before Holiday silenced him with a well aimed shot. As the giant lizard fell to the floor, the crystals bounced away from Rex, seemingly hitting nothing but air. Rex sighed as the crystals fell around him, his pale blue eyes dropping closed as he took a deep breath.

"Almost there…" he mumbled to himself, the voices dying out as he relaxed on the bed, "Then…this whole thing will be done." Rex sighed, eyes dropping closed as he machines around him burst to life. Light poured out of the screens, flashing brilliantly white and blinding everyone in the room.

"Rex! Rex!" But he did not hear the others' voices as they called out to him, didn't even hear the hum and roaring of the machines as they whirred near his head. The static was gone, the pain a distant memory. The nanites no longer screamed at him or begged him to take them somewhere. Nothing was _hurting_.

There was only warmth.

I wonder…what will happen…Will I forget everything? Will I die?

…

But the warmth overcame him. He was thrown above the fear and pain, away from the uncertainty into a world of warmth. There was no strange voice. No mystery. No worries or fears. Not even thoughts.

Only him.


	10. Clean Slate

**Overdue? A bit. Sorry? Yes. Did I forget some of the reviewers last time? Yes, and I feel terrible for that. Honestly, this had lost my interest. Until I saw the opening episode for the new season. Then I was all excited and more than willing to write for it. And thus was this chapter written! I hope this will keep up with me, and that you all can forgive me with my slight. Hope you enjoy!**

**Reviews!**

**krissiloveshalloweengmail . com****- Really? Yes! **hugs* I'm glad to hear that. And don't worry, this story has a while yet. :D I planned a bit of an epic here, I admit.**

* * *

_Tabula Rasa._

* * *

Noah wasn't sure, what happened next. It was a blur, he knew that much. For one second, Rex was glowing the pale blue colors, the machines were whirring, and the terror had jumped inside his chest and pumped through the rest of his body, horrible and crippling in its surge. There had been a flash of light, blinding him, and everything disappeared. Gone in an instant, and all he could see was the painfully bright color. Then it faded back into nothing, the darkness more pronounced than ever before.

And it all went to hell.

He heard someone, Six, shout before there was the loud screeching of metal against metal. A thump and a groaning sound, but Noah didn't know from who. Holiday was behind him, fumbling in her pockets and messing with a small control, and as Noah blinked hard to make the rest of the black blobs come into view, he saw Circe being thrown to the ground by Skalamander.

His eyes finally focused and he looked at Rex, the dark-haired teen limp on the table, and Noah found himself running, terror gone for an instant. Get to Rex and things would be all right. They could run then. They could run and not have to worry about what would come after.

Pain erupted and flared on the side of his head, hot and throbbing and knocking him senseless. The world became swirling pool of color, tinged with pale blue even though it had long since faded away. He heard more screaming, more shouting, more metal against metal and the loud bangs and pops from guns. The world was shouting at him, throwing itself in front of Rex so he could not be taken.

Black.

Black.

More colors popped when he tried to open his eyes. He tried to move or grunt, tried to do anything to get up and get to Rex, but something warm wrapped around his middle. Noah closed his eyes again, the pounding in his temples so incessant and demanding that he just couldn't bring himself to keep his eyes open. Not with the loud drumming, not with the constantly mixing colors. It was too much.

_Rex..._

_Rex where are you? You didn't so something stupid did you? If you did..._

_I don't know if I can help you this time._

"-iess! Get to Re-"

"...all?"

Shots and bangs. Too many voices, too much sound. Bouncing in his head, one wall to the next, up down, zigzagging in his mind. Voices though. The voices. _Concentrate Noah. Concentrate._

"Rex! Rex come on! Move! Move!"

_Come on! Do something! Any-_

A violent shake. Noah tried to sit up, to think, but it was all a haze of fuzzy sound. The voices were constant. Constant. Too much at once. Something fell over him, chilled his insides, and the world faded back, then forward, then back again. He was swinging. In a park, on a pendulum. It didn't matter, he was still sick of it. His stomach clenched and he choked on something rotten and bitter, but he swallowed anyway to try and breathe again.

_Ugh..._

"Hold on there kid." Another voice that overpowered the others, deep and comforting.

Noah's last few memories were of the warm thing wrapped his middle saying something. There was something familiar to it, but he's too tired to even try to sort it out. Instead Noah let his eyes rest and the world to fade into the back of his mind, noting only that he is being carried by something furry.

* * *

The world, for a moment, was nothing but an annoying color. A bright orange color that stun Noah's eyes as he turned away from it, trying to keep his sleep intact. By then the world started to rush back at him, with all the loud voices and swirling color that made his stomach clench again. Noah scrunched his eyes and held his head in his hands, letting out a low groan. "Mom, please, I just need five more minutes."

"I'm not your mom kid. And I'm insulted by the insinuation." Noah groaned again and slowly opened his eyes, squinting as the light hit him. He covered one eye before pushing himself up, glancing at the white sheets. Okay._..where am I? _He sat up and looked around the room, the white color a dominant feature of the room. Noah ran a hand through his hair and brought his knees to his chest, looking around as Bobo appeared beside his bed.

"Providence?" Noah asked, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

"Oh look, the kid finally gets it right."

"Thanks." Noah's eyes widened and he almost flew out of bed, the sheets tangling his legs and making him fall halfway off the side. The plastic railing dug painfully into his ribcage and he struggled to bring his hands on the rail to push himself up. "Crap, crap, crap!" Noah felt his face heat up as Bobo laughed, his loud snorts filling the room. Noah let out a grunt before heaving himself back onto the bed, his hair a spiky mess and clothes more than ruffled.

"Nice one."

Noah ignored Bobo's quip, instead fixing him with a glare, "What happened to Rex?" Noah's chest tightened as Bobo fell silent and Noah was fighting again to get out of bed. He tore the sheets from his legs and threw them to the floor, swinging his legs over the rail and making to run, only for his legs to buckle. Noah hissed as he landed on his knees and he pressed his hands to the floor, breathing in and out and slowly pushing himself up until he was standing again. Bobo walked toward him, a frown set firmly on his furry face, and he shook his head at Noah.

"Shouldn't be running around too much. You were out for nearly a day, and had a concussion. Can't exactly run any marathons." Bobo said, adjusting his fez hat.

Noah gritted his teeth and refused to look at Bobo, clenching his hands at his sides, "What happened to Rex?"

Noah's eyes snapped to Bobo's as the monkey let out a sigh, and his stomach coiled oddly before Bobo spoke, "Well, it's hard to say how the Chief is doing. It got real messy back there before we could pull everyone out, and he was still out cold. Hasn't moved much, and Holiday is monitoring him constantly. Kinda why she's not in here with you." Noah shuddered as Bobo finished, looking down at the white tiled floor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, rubbing the space between his eyes.

"Does she-she know how he's doing? At all?" Some small thread of hope. A clue. Something for him to go on. It was better than the nothing he had.

"No. Says she can't until the chief wakes up. And she's not sure of that either."

"Great." Noah opened is eyes again and let them stray to the door, his eyes glazing over as he lost himself in his thoughts. He felt cold and empty, like something important were missing. He wanted it to be him overreacting, or the pessimist in him simply having a field day, but the way his stomach bottomed out told him it wasn't a good thing, whatever happened with Rex. _Or maybe it is...and I just don't like the other part that's probably coming with it._

"I want to see him." Noah didn't look around at Bobo, just waited until the simian was walking in front of him to lead the way. Bobo shrugged, but his eyes had a gleam as he led Noah to the door.

"Whatever you want kid. I ain't gonna stop you." Bobo said, raising a hand and waving for Noah to follow him. The blond stretched a bit and took a small step forward, smirking when his leg didn't wobble, and started down the room to follow Bobo. The door slid open with a soft whoosh and the two were waking down the hallway, Bobo eying some of the female doctors and scientists as they passed. Noah stayed silent beside him, eyes cast down as he shifted through his thoughts, wondering what to think of Rex.

_I should be happy, no matter what. There was no way he was gonna make it if we just left it alone. He knew what he was doing...kinda. And even if he didn't, he's still in better shape now than when this whole mess started, and that's saying something right? Besides, Rex knows how to get himself out of these things. He has to. He causes almost all of them._

"Kid!" Noah jumped at Bobo's yell, cheek reddening as he glanced down at the monkey, "Not that talking to the walls isn't fun and all, but aren't you wondering what happened after you got knocked cold?"

"Uh-" Noah coughed into his hand and looked away, "I mean, yeah, I guess. But after we see Rex all right? I want to make sure he's all right." Bobo shook his head, giving Noah a dark glare before turning a corner and leading Noah to a door on the right side of the hall. Noah hurried behind Bobo as the door opened, not even flinching as his eyes met with more white. _They really need a decorator or something._

As he stepped inside Noah's eyes immediately sought out a flash of orange, but what his eyes caught were green. He nearly yelled as Six appeared in front of him, looking menacing as ever, especially with his sunglasses reflecting the fluorescent lights just right. Noah swallowed though and gave Six a small wave, trying to cover his moment of terror. "Hey-Hey Six."

"Hello Noah." Six glanced down at Bobo before meeting Noah's face again, "Here to see Rex?"

"Um...yeah?"

"All right." Noah blinked as Six turned away, letting Noah and Bobo walk into the room. "Just don't be surprised if Holiday bites your head off and starts apologizing for leaving you on your own." Noah's steps faltered for a moment before he fell back into step with Six, eyes glancing around and hands shaking a bit. Great._ A stressed out Holiday. Because she's not scary at all when she yells. Nope. Not. At. All._

Noah broke from his thoughts as Six led him to a bed, Rex's sleeping form curled on the mattress. He had a few tubes and needles stuck in his arms, but otherwise looked unharmed. Noah didn't even glance at Holiday as he took a step closer and stood by Rex's bed, looking him up and down. The color had completely returned to Rex's face and his breathing was no longer raspy. His body was no longer shaking uncontrollably, and Rex's face was serene, unlike the last few times that Noah had seen him in bed. Noah's hand ghosted over the rail as he looked over at Holiday, eyebrows raised.

She smiled at him, small worry lines around her eyes as she tucked a loose strand of black hair behind her ear, "He seems to be doing just fine now Noah. His breathing is normal, his heart rate is at a safe level again, and he hasn't woken up once with any of those nightmares." Holiday's smile shrunk and she stepped toward Rex's bed, running her hand through his hair, "All we have to do now as wait until he wakes up and see how he's doing. But I'm sure he'll be all right. The only thing I'm not a hundred percent on is..."

Noah didn't have to hear Holiday finish. He already knew what she was referring to, and the thought still made his insides clench. He started to watch Rex again, eyes stuck on the steady rise and fall of his friend's chest, and he almost seemed to forget that the others were in the room with him. Then his grip on the railing tightened, "What happened back there? All I remember is getting hit a bunch before, I don't know,the whole place just went crazy to me." Noah asked, keeping his eyes on Rex. He heard Holiday sigh behind him and swallowed. _What happened then? Was it bad or what?_

"It's pretty much how you said it Noah. Things went crazy." Holiday said, the woman coming up beside him on the rail and straightening the blankets on Rex's bed, "After that flash of light, no one really did anything. Until we saw...until we saw Van Kleiss."

Noah whipped around at her, eyes wide, "You're kidding!" Noah shook his head, running a hand over his face and letting out a moan, "Will that guy just stay down already?"

Holiday gave him a soft smile before continuing, "No, I don't think he will. I don't know why he was able to show up the way he did. From what I saw, hos body wound was regenerating as the light began to fade, so it could be that he used Rex's powers to come back."

"But-But how?"

"I wish I knew Noah." Holiday mumbled, looking down at Rex, "He won't be happy about it though." She sighed and looked back at Noah, "He wasn't able to do much though. He seemed weak after coming back, but when we tried to go get Rex, he ordered Skalamander and Biowulf to stop us."

Noah gritted his teeth, _So he's still after Rex...figures._

"They didn't succeed, obviously." Six said from behind him, making Noah jump, "But that doesn't mean we weren't without our problems."

"So they were kicking our butts." Noah said, ignoring the annoyed tick on Six's face, "If we were backed into a corner then how-"

"Providence." Noah blanched for a moment and Holiday smiled, "Yes, Providence. I guess we weren't as stealthy as we thought when we helped Rex get to Abyssus. Providence ships came and gave us cover fire before shuffling us on board. You were out cold by then, as was Rex, and we had you sent to recovery rooms when we got back. Speaking of which-" Holiday reached into her lab pocket and pulled out a small communicator, handing it to Noah, "I think you'll want to let your mom know where you are. I told her a little of what happened, but I think she'd prefer to hear it from your mouth." Noah blinked at Holiday as he slowly slipped the communicator from her palm and into his pocket, nodding.

"I wish...I could remember this." Noah said, looking back at Rex.

"Don't worry about it Noah. It's not as if you could help it."

Noah nodded again but his eyes widened and he looked at Holiday, then Six and Bobo, "What about Circe, do you know what happened to her?" Noah glanced between Bobo and Six before turning back to Holiday, his eyes searching, "Do you?"

Holiday bot her lip, looking at the floor, "All I saw was Circe knocked out on the floor. We couldn't...couldn't take her with us. I don't know what happened to her after that." Noah swallowed, skin pricking and making him shudder, as if he'd been dunked in cold water. _What will Van Kleiss do to her once he knows she helped Rex get better? But...but maybe he'll see it as her helping him, since he came back and all. Would that be better? Would he even believe it?_

"I'm sure she's all right Noah. Relax." Six said, holding up a hand.

"I know...I know, it's just, after she helped us." Noah broke off as Rex groaned from the bed, and his heart clenched in his chest. Holiday was on him in seconds, placing a hand on his arm and mumbling under her breath as if to coax him awake. Six walked toward the bed as well and Bobo hurried to the other side, watching Rex as his face scrunched up and hos body stretched. Noah bit the inside of his cheek as Rex moved, his heart thudding painfully against his ribs and inside his throat, and he narrowed his eyes as he waited for Rex to open his.

_No matter what happens Rex._

Brown eyes were shut tight, too tight, before slowly opening. They squinted at the light in the room before looking at the people, and Noah clenched his hands.

_I'll be here._

Rex let out a sigh and brought a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes and nose before letting his arm drop to his side. His brow furrowed in confusion as he heard the tubes thump together, and brought his arm up to examine the little plastic tubes and needles on his arm. He blinked and brought his arm down again, looking from Holiday to Bobo, Six to Noah, and Noah felt his heart fall out of his chest before Rex had even said a word.

"Um...okay, I'm confused. Where am I?" Noah clenched his hand at his side as Rex sat up, cradling his head as he looked around, "It feels like I was hit with a steamroller." Rex paused for a moment, unaware of Holiday's face as it fell before she managed to cover it up with a well rehearsed blank face. Rex continued to rub his head, looking at the people, "Why there's a monkey in here anyway? I'm at a zoo or something." Rex paused, letting his hand drop to his side, eyes looking ahead of him with a sudden distant look.

"Why...can't I remember anything?" Rex's brow furrowed even more and he glared at his lap, grasping the sheets, "This feels weird. Why can't I? I should...should be remembering something right? But-" He shook his head, slamming his hand down on the mattress, "But my mind is coming up blank. Why? All I can remember is...is Rex! What does that mean-"

Holiday shook her head and grabbed Rex's hand before he could slam it against the bed again, her eyes soft as Rex looked at her. Noah would have smiled at blush on Rex's face if it had been any other time.

But it wasn't.

"Rex is your name." she said softly, releasing his hand, "And we can answer any questions you have."

Rex opened his mouth to say something, only to close it again and give Holiday a cheeky grin, "I don't know doc, I think I'm feeling a little warm. I think I need you to take my temperature-"

"Even when he can't remember a thing he's hitting on Holiday. Go figure."

Rex froze, slowly turning to face Bobo, is eyes wide, "Did that monkey just talk?" Bobo rolled his eyes and Rex stared at him in wonder, slowly reaching a hand out and poking Bobo in the cheek. "I mean, really talk?"

"Keep poking me and I'll do more than talk."

Rex yanked his hand away and glared at the monkey, puffing his cheeks out, "Better have gotten all your rabies shots." Rex slowly looked away from Bobo, his eyes focusing on Noah and Agent Six before they slid to Holiday. "Do I know all of you or something?"

Holiday smiled at Rex, soft and calm, and Noah had to marvel at the way she was composing herself. Noah didn't know what to feel, what to think, all he knew was that his friend had no idea who he was. What anything was. Had no idea of the war they were fighting and the par he happened to play in it.

"Yes Rex, you do know-you knew us. But then you got sick and we had to do something to make you better. But it just...well, it made you forget a few things."

"A few things?" Rex raised an eyebrow at her, shaking his head, "I'm pretty sure only remembering my name counts as more than just a few things. But whatever. Who are you then?"

Holiday's smile slipped for just a moment and her fingers dug into her palms, nails leaving small marks when she finally loosened her grip, "I'm Doctor Holiday. You'll be seeing a lot of me Rex, as we work on your recovery."

Rex brightened at that, a grin splitting his face as a small tint of red made its way to his cheeks, "All right. I have feeling I'll like having you as my doctor." Rex turned back to Bobo, pointing an accusing finger at him, "And you...must be the sidekick right?"

Bobo jumped before his face twisted into a snarl, "More than just a sidekick!"

"You're right. I mean, you talk right? So then, you can do a lot of other stuff to." Rex's eyes centered on the gun around Bobo's waist and his smiled widened, "Like shoot things huh? Cool!" Rex started to bounce a bit in the mattress and Holiday rested a hand on his shoulder. Rex glanced at her, tilting his head up.

"Not too much at once Rex. We can't overexcite you too soon, all right?"

"Yeah, yeah. So who's the green guy?" Six raised an eyebrow at Rex and Noah was left wondering again how they were all able to handle it so well. _Is it because they knew longer? Have they all been sitting around, preparing for the day Rex lost his memories? Is this how will it be like every time?_

"I am Agent Six. I'm your instructor and, more often than not, your babysitter."

Rex snorted, "I may not know how old I am, but I think I'm big enough to not need a babysitter."

"You'd be surprised."

Rex rolled his eyes at Six before turning to Noah, and the blond felt his hands shake at his sides. _What do I do? What do I say? Can I say anything? Do I just introduce myself? Crap, I don't-_

"And you?"

Noah blinked once, his eyes wide, before a small smile appeared. His body relaxed and he held out a hand for Rex, "I'm Noah. You and I wer-are best friends."

Rex's mouth parted slightly and he took Noah's hand, staring at him with wide eyes. He brought his free hand up to scratch his cheek before his grin returned with a bit of bravado, "All right! Glad to hear it! Sorry I don't remember you but I'm sure-"

"Don't worry about it." Noah cut across him. His heart was still beating painfully in his chest and his eyes were stinging, but he grasped Rex's hand tighter, "I'll help you."

_Promise._

Rex blinked, hand loosening in Noah's own before his smile reappeared. Noah felt something inside him click and swell, and Rex shook his hand harder before letting it drop.

"I'll hold you to that."

* * *

Abyssus was quiet again, the Providence reducing more than half the building into a smoldering pile of rubble. The stones had landed and cracked in large heaps of a large room, the dark sky visible as the high ceiling gave way to the sky. Tunnels with bridges that led to the inner workings of the stone building were all over the room, vines and large, overgrown, dark green plants wrapped around the stone. There were roses spread around what looked to be a stone throne, where a pale, dark-haired man sat.

Van Kleiss groaned as he adjusted himself in his chair, his golden, clawed hand resting on the arm while the other lay in his lap. His dark red eyes glared at the girl in front of him, smirking at her. "You are very lucky Circe. Very lucky that Rex's revival brought about my own."

Circe gulped, stumbling as the stone beneath her feet shifted and she was brought in front of the pale man. Van Kleiss reached for her cheek his with gold hand, one of the needle like fingertips pressing against her cheek. "Next time I won't be so considerate. Understand?"

Circe's heart was racing and she could feel the sweat beading down her temple, but she held his gaze, "Understood."

"Good." Circe could barely blink before she was thrown away, skidding on the hard gray stone, her clothes tearing. Biowulf and Skalamander watched on, Biowulf glaring at Circe as she pulled herself from the ground. He turned back to his master, offering him a low bow.

"Master, what will we do now that you have returned to us?"

"All in due time Biowulf. Rest assured, we'll be far from idle." Van Kleiss smiled, shuddering as he thought of the other girl he had in his employ, "Breach will be with us soon. After that...well, we really do need to consider Rex don't we?" Van Kleiss sighed, running his human hand over his sweating forehead. "We can't move yet. I'm not...as prepared as I'd like to be. But I won't be wasting this second chance. Not at all."

"Then Master-"

"I have a feeling Rex may be a tad more attainable than before Biowulf. After all, a clean slate can be marked by anyone, and anything, now can't it?" Circe swallowed her gasp and clasped her hands, trying to keep them from shaking, "I just have to make sure I get to mark him the most."


End file.
